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Title: The Use of Oxidative Chemicals for the Removal of Hair from Cattle Hides in the Beamhouse

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Submitted to: Journal Of American Leather Chemists Association
Publication Acceptance Date: May 7, 2004
Publication Date: September 1, 2004
Citation: Marmer, W.N., Dudley, R.L. 2004. The Use Of Oxidative Chemicals For The Removal Of Hair From Cattle Hides In The Beamhouse. Journal Of American Leather Chemists Association. 99(9):386-392.

Interpretive Summary: The United States produces 35 million cattlehides annually. These hides undergo dehairing in the tannery in an early stage of their conversion to leather. The conventional dehairing agent has been sodium sulfide, but safer, environmentally benign alternatives are needed. To that effect, we examined oxidative agents, which either include hydrogen peroxide or form it when applied to the hides. Most effective was sodium perborate, an agent often included in laundry detergent formulations. Dehairing was achieved and hide damage was avoided. The results will lead to commercial scale trials, and the results of those trials should demonstrate a benign alternative to sulfide for the American tanning industry.

Technical Abstract: Conventional dehairing employs salts of sulfide for the reductive degradation and removal of hair from hides. Although sulfide salts are very efficient and effective in the removal of hair; their use is environmentally costly because they contribute to biological and chemical oxygen demand. In addition, the salts could react with acid to produce toxic hydrogen sulfide gas. In our ongoing study of the use of alkaline oxidative chemicals as replacements for sulfides in the beamhouse, we have developed three different dehairing protocols -- alkaline sodium perborate and alkaline hydrogen peroxide amended with either potassium cyanate or urea. Alkaline hydrogen peroxide/urea was very effective in removing hair, but it also led to extensive damage to the hide. Alkaline sodium perborate effectively removed the hair from cattlehides without any sign of grain damage. Leather produced from hides that had been dehaired using the sulfide-free dehairing had at least as good physical properties as leather produced from hides dehaired using sulfide. In addition, the uptake of the dyes used to make crust leather was better for the hides that had been oxidatively dehaired relative to those that had been sulfide-dehaired.

   
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