Optimitation of Various Parameters in Vegetable Tanning using Ultrasound

The influence of different variables has been determined in vegetable tanning when using ultrasound (US). US is used in a traditional tanning process in order to replace the mechanical effect of the drums. This prevents the damaging of the grain which results from the hitting of the hides against the pivots in the drum. However, it is necessary to optimize certain variables so that the use of US can be economically viable. The variables in this study were (a) the power applied (from 16.7 to 4.2 W/L), (b) the time devoted to the effect of US, and (c) the concentration of tanning liquor. These variables are of fundamental importance when attempting to determine the economic viability of the tanning system proposed here. The parameters that have been controlled during the tests were (a) the density of the float, (b) the absorption of the vegetable extract in the hide, and (c) the time devoted to tan-through. The tests provided positive results when using US with a power of 8.35 W/L and processing only for 5 hours. The quality of the grain in the pieces of leather obtained using US is higher than that of similar pieces of leather made using the drums.