AN ECO-FRIENDLY METHOD FOR SHORT TERM PRESERVATION OF SKINS/HIDES

摘要

The first step in leather processing is the preservation or curing of hides and skins. Normally,40-50% of common salt is used to preserve the skins and hides,which leads to an increase in the Tota) Dissolved Solids (TDS) and chlorides (Cl) in the tannery effluent. Hence,researchers are forced to look for alternative methods of preservation with less salt or without salt. In this paper,we report the results of the investigations carried out for preserving skins by reducing the moisture content of the skins using acetone. The properties and qualities of the crust leather are in par with the salt preserved skins. Also,this method reduces the TDS of the tannery effluent significantly. The results obtained in this study substantiated that reducing the moisture content of the skins and hides helps in preserving them for more than a month.