CHEMICAL TRANSFORMATION OF CHROMED LEATHER WASTES INTO ENVIRONMENTALLY HARMLESS FIBROUS BIOMASS

摘要

Chemical transformation of leather waste into chromium free biomass has been investigated. The conversion was performed by extracting the toxic metal. The effects of several influential factors on the process have been studied using design of experiments. Optimal conditions of chromium extraction have been determined. The collagen fiber of the biomass obtained has been analyzed by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The chemical mechanism allowing this transformation has been suggested. The infrared analysis showed that the collagen fiber of the obtained biomass presents chemical composition similar to that of native collagen fiber of non-chromed leather. These results demonstrated the almost complete extraction of chromium from leather waste and the conversion of these latter into an environmentally harmless biomass.