Indian researchers convert fleshings into soling material
Researchers in India have developed a use for the fleshings from tannery waste, converting them into a material that can be used to make soles.
The Central Leather Research Institute discovered that the activated carbon from fleshing waste contains calcium and can be used as a filler in rubber-making.
“Leather processing generates 700kg of solid waste for every tonne of skin/hide processed. Fleshing contributes to 10% of the total solid waste. In other words, world over, for every 100 tonnes of hide processed every day, 10 tonnes of fleshing waste is generated,” they said. “In India, 0.9 billion kg of raw hide/skin is processed annually. This amounts to 90,000 tonnes of fleshing waste generated every year.”
The conventional disposal methods of limed fleshing includes manufacture of industrial gelatin/protein hydrolysate, glue, biomethanation and the remaining limed fleshing waste is dumped into landfills.
“In rubber-making, carbon black is used as reinforcing material. The conventional activated carbon do not contain cross linking agent like CaO, so it cannot be used as filler in rubber manufacture in the place of carbon black. In this study, we have converted the limed fleshing waste into activated carbon and since it contains calcium it is used effectively as filler in the manufacture of rubber.”
