REACHING NEW TARGETS THROUGH CHEMICALS: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEATHER CHEMICALS SECTOR

摘要

Chemicals are typically intermediate products calling for a greater element of innovation. Leather for 2025 will be strongly dependent on the range of chemicals available at that time. Any goals set for 2025 for the leather sector will have to have a chemical sector ready by 2020. Four factors which would challenge the leather chemical sector of the future are sociological, technological, environmental and political. The availability of quality manpower, having a diverse knowledge of the changing demands of the sector is vital. In this the academy plays a vital role by fine tuning its curricula so that the manpower of 2020 are ready to meet the demands of the sector. Leather today is more of a smart material than an ordinary covering of body and feet. Consumer demands of 2025 are expected to be more material oriented and such challenges can only be met through chemicals. Perhaps, this calls for a greater synergy amongst leather technologists, polymer scientists, nanotechnologists and color chemistry personnel. Metal ions would continue to be challenged and the stability of leather would depend strongly on how alternatives based more on biological products are developed. Movement of leather processing from chemical to bioprocessing has to be seen as an opportunity towards developing bio based specialty chemicals, which can be employed for integrated processing. Environmental stipulations calls for proper disposal of the product after use and chemicals of the future must be able'to stabilize and destabilize skin at will. Meeting the REACH stipulations from time to time would ensure that the industry is constantly challenged towards upgrading their products to remain safe. Moving of the industry from Western world to Asia brings with it new political systems to be addressed. Challenges for land, investments, energy, water etc will come with opportunities of large availability of qualified manpower and industry will have to meet the gaps efficiently. In essence, the leather chemicals sector of the future would be strongly dependent on the synergy of several segments and in thus achieving it, would lead the leather sector to establish itself in new opportunity areas.