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Additives in the Leather Industry

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Global Risk-Based Management of Chemical Additives I

Part of the book series: The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry ((HEC,volume 18))

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Abstract

An overview of the leather sector from the point of view of additives use is presented. In the first section, the general trends of the sector under concern in terms of world production and trade flows are reviewed, together with an overall description of the main characteristics of the production process including beamhouse (i.e., salting, soaking, unhairing, liming, deliming, pickling), tanning, post-tanning (i.e., neutralization, bleaching, re-tanning, fatliquoring), and finishing operations. The second part is focused on the description of the different additive classes used to provide leather with the required functional characteristics and to facilitate and improve the production process as well, namely, fatliquoring agents, surfactants, coating agents (binders, lacquers), waterproofing agents, flame retardant agents, biocides, and dyes. Main compounds or compound families within each additive class are listed, and some related information regarding their function and environmental potential impacts is also included.

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Abbreviations

BA:

Butyl acrylate

BFR:

Brominated flame retardant

DDT:

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane

EA:

Ethyl acrylate

EU:

European Union

HBCD:

Hexabromocyclododecane

NP:

Nonylphenol

NPE:

Nonylphenol ethoxylate

octaBDE:

Octabromodiphenyl ether

PBDE:

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers

PCP:

Pentachlorophenol

PU:

Polyurethane

TCMTB:

2-(Thiocyanomethylthio)benzothiazole

TeCP:

Tetrachlorophenol

USSR:

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

VOC:

Volatile organic compounds

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Diagnostic and Water Studies (IDAEA), Spanish Council of Scientific Research (CSIC), Jordi Girona 18–26, 08034, Barcelona, Spain

    Daniel Guillén, Antoni Ginebreda, Mira Petrovic & Damià Barceló

  2. Department of Chemical Engineering, CERTEC, ETSEIB, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Diagonal 647, pav. G, 08028, Barcelona, Spain

    Rosa Mari Darbra

  3. Nordeconsult Sweden AB, Sofiaparken 3C, 222 41, Lund, Sweden

    Stefan Rydin

Authors
  1. Daniel Guillén
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  2. Antoni Ginebreda
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  3. Mira Petrovic
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  4. Damià Barceló
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  5. Rosa Mari Darbra
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  6. Stefan Rydin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniel Guillén .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Institute of Waste Management, Technical University of Dresden, Pratzchwitzer Straße 15, Pirna, 01796, Germany

    Bernd Bilitewski

  2. , CERTEC, UPC - Technical University of Catalonia, Pavelló G. 6471a Planta, Barcelona, 08028, Spain

    Rosa Mari Darbra

  3. Jordi Girona 18 -26, Barcelona, 08034, Spain

    Damià Barceló

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© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Guillén, D., Ginebreda, A., Petrovic, M., Barceló, D., Darbra, R.M., Rydin, S. (2011). Additives in the Leather Industry. In: Bilitewski, B., Darbra, R., Barceló, D. (eds) Global Risk-Based Management of Chemical Additives I. The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry(), vol 18. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/698_2011_105

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