Project under way to improve natural tannins
Leather chemicals manufacturer Silvateam is working with a series of partners in Italy on a project to develop chemically modified natural tannins (CMNTs) to produce leather.
Aims of the project are to make adjustments to the ways in which natural tannins are usually prepared for use in leather manufacturing to achieve lower chemical hazards, sustainable costs, reduced waste and improved circularity compared to conventional tanning processes that use chrome, synthetic tannins or aldehydes. The partners have said they believe these modified tannins will allow leather manufacturers to produce “eco-friendly, high-quality leathers use of innovative, sustainable.
They have said the process will use natural tannins from sources such as chestnut and quebracho. These tannins will go through an intense filtration process. This will result in concentrated purified natural tannins, with residue material that is not suitable for use in tanning going for use as additives to animal feed.
Next, the concentrated, purified natural tannins go through a chemical reaction to produce the CMNTs for tanners to use. Off-cuts and trimmings from hides tanned using CMNTs will be suitable for use in agriculture as organic fertiliser.
