Enzymes and the Leather Industry
Enzyme, a protein sourced from Animal, Plant and Microbial sources is being used in Leather Industries as a Bio Catalyst with a Living Protein. The art of the reaction is a digestion of a protein by it’s controlled reaction on collagen fibre. The enzymes of different kinds, like Lipase, Protease and Cellulose have different kinds of reaction with Natural Fats, Collagen fibrill and Carbohydrates present in a triple Helicalollagen Structure.
Applications of Enzymes:
SOAKING Soaking is the first operation in the tannery wherein the hides and skins are cleaned and softened with water. Soaking is necessary for solubilization and elimination of salts and globular proteins contained within the fibrous structure of hides and skins.
UNHAIRING Dehairing is one of the main operations in the beamhouse. Enzymatic dehairing is suggested as an environmentally friendly alternative to the conventional chemical process.
(i) Significant reduction or even complete elimination of the use of sodium sulphide.
(ii) Recovery of hair of good quality and strength with a good saleable value.
(iii) Creation of an ecologically conducive atmosphere for the workers.
(iv) Enzymatically dehaired leathers have shown better strength properties and greater surface area.
(v) Simplification of pre-tanning processes by cutting down one step, viz. bating.
(vi) A significant nature of the enzymatic dehairing process is the time factor involved
DEGREASING Degreasing is an essential step in the production of glove and clothing leather. In this process there is removal of excess natural fats from greasy skins. The presence of natural grease in raw hides and skins, especially woolly sheep skins, results in various defects, viz. fatty spues, uneven dyeing and finishing, waxy patches in alum-tanned leathers, and pink stain on wet blues . During the degreasing operation in the pre-
tanning process, the fat or grease is removed from the interfibrillary spaces of the skins to facilitate the even penetration of tanning materials, fat liquors, and dyes, etc. Degreasing helps to obtain soft and pliable leather for garment manufacture.
BATING The main object of bating is to remove some of the non leather-forming proteinous materials like albumins, globulin, and mucoids from hides and skins, and to allow splitting up of collagen fibres to facilitate the penetration of tanning materials and other processing chemicals, thereby giving the finished leather the desired characteristic properties like feel, softness, pliability, etc.
Beam House products:
SEBsoak : Soaking Bio-Enhancer
SEBbate Alkali : An Alkali Bate
SEBlime : Unhairing Bio-Censor
SEBdegrease : Bio Degreaser
Wet End Products:
SEBdefat : A Bio-Enhancer for Natural Fat Removal
SEBfold : A Bio Conditioner
AESL has all customized solutions to offer our clients to all these applications to give the superior quality of leather. To name a few of our established products and doing remarkably well in the market.