Preparation of value added composite boards using finished leather waste and plant fibers—a waste utilization effort in Ethiopia

Preparation of composite materials with better mechanical properties and agreeable use is a need of the time for the reason that it is eco-friendly. Having this objective in mind, the work of preparing value-added leather composites using finished leather waste and various plant fibers as raw materials is done in the laboratory of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research–Central Leather Research Institute, India. In the leather goods and footwear manufacturing industries, about 20–30% of leather is discarded as waste, and presently it is imperative to make effort to utilize this waste in Ethiopia because it is huge and untapped resource. The recycled leather (RCL) as control and its composite boards (CBs) which are the mixtures of leather fibers with plant fibers like jute (Corchorus trilocularis L.), hibiscus (Hibiscus cannabinus), sisal (Agave sisalana), palm (Phoenix dactylifera) and enset (Ensete ventricosum) in the proportion of 10, 20, 30, and 40% are characterized for their physicochemical properties (tensile strength, elongation at break, stitch tear strength, water absorption, water desorption, and flexing strength), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). Composites exhibited better mechanical properties compared to those of control boards. SEM pictures showed the composite nature of the boards. TGA studies revealed better thermal stability for composites. In the DSC study, the CBs of RCL-S and RCL-P exhibited higher melting point values than those of RCL-J, RCL-H, and RCL-E samples. Based on these results, all the composite boards may be used as raw material for the preparation of consumer products such as insoles, chapel-uppers, wallets, light hand bags, mouse pads, roofing, wall partitioning, and components of furniture and interior decorations.