A one-bath chrome tanning together with wet-finishing process for reduced water usage and discharge

Environmental impact has become a key issue in the present global industrial activities. A conventional leather processing method involves multi-step process that employs as well as discharges various inorganic as well as organic materials. Further, it demands huge resources like water, time and power. An attempt has been made in the study to overcome these problems by exploring a one-bath chrome tanning together with a wet-finishing process. The one-bath process provides leathers having comparable physical and bulk properties to that of conventionally processed leather. Integration of chrome tanning with post tanning improves the uptake of chromium and thereby chrome content in the leathers. The process results in moderate reductions in pollution loads, water, time and power. More specifically, water usage is reduced by 48% compared to conventional requirement.