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Exploration of Functional Polymers for Cleaner Leather Industry

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Abstract

The progress of low-toxic and little-waste technologies, as well as scientifically justified utilize of chemical ingredients and raw materials, are all linked in order to reduce the negative footprint of the tanning industry on the nature. Expansion and application of alternate pre-tanning and tanning methods using polymeric chemicals could be acted as a solution for such problem. Modern polymeric material based on acrylic acid and amphoteric were employed to replace the traditional pickling process. Experiments have shown that using polymeric materials for leather manufacturing could intensify the tanning process, increase the thermo stability of leather, and make better use of chemical resources. The functionalized polyurethane is one of the influential re-tanning agents and coating materials for leather processing. Owing to having polymers instead of conventional chemicals at different operation in the leather making, the amount of chromium (III) compounds, chlorides, and sulphates in the wastewater has greatly reduced. Therefore, polymers in the leather manufacturing could mitigate the pollution load of tanning waste, assist the prompt advancement of cleaner production. Based on that, the current article review gives a summary of polymers that are applied in the leather industry at different operations during leather processing.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge the Ethiopian Institute of Textile and Fashion Technology, Bahir Dar University library for supporting and providing books, journals, and conference proceedings whenever needed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Leather Product Design and Engineering, Ethiopian Institute of Textile and Fashion Technology, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

    Wendwosen Ebabu & Md. Israil Hossain

  2. Department of Leather Engineering, Konbolicha Institute of Technology, Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia

    Wendwosen Ebabu

  3. Department of Materials, Faculty of Science and Engineering, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK

    Md. Israil Hossain

  4. Textile Research Division, National Research Centre (Affiliation ID: 60014618), Dokki, Cairo, Egypt

    Mehrez E. El-Naggar

  5. Department of Textile Chemical Process Engineering, Ethiopian Institute of Textile and Fashion Technology, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

    Abera Kechi

  6. Department of Garment Engineering, Ethiopian Institute of Textile and Fashion Technology, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

    Shalemu Sharew Hailemariam

  7. Leather Processing and Product Research Innovation Center, Ethiopian Institute of Textile and Fashion Technology, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

    Fitsum Etefa Ahmed

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  1. Wendwosen Ebabu
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  3. Mehrez E. El-Naggar
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Correspondence to Md. Israil Hossain or Mehrez E. El-Naggar.

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Ebabu, W., Israil Hossain, M., El-Naggar, M.E. et al. Exploration of Functional Polymers for Cleaner Leather Industry. J Inorg Organomet Polym 32, 1–14 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10904-021-02129-4

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