Abstract

A standard process for the production of segments of chrome side leather, in a controlled manner, has been reported in J. Soc. Leather Technol. Chem., (1974), 58, 88. This process has been further developed to give a modified standard process in which the three main changes are (I) the use of whole sides in place of segments, (II) a drum liming procedure to replace the circulatory system employed previously for liming stationary segments, and (III) the transfer of the operation of splitting from the stage after liming to after chrome tanning. The course of development of the modified standard process is described, including details of consequential changes to deliming, pickling, tanning, basifying and neutralisation. It was also necessary to modify drying and conditioning, to enable whole sides to be handled. The properties of leather made by the modified process have been compared with those of standard process leathers. Although minor differences can be detected between the subjective properties (break, temper and grain quality) of leathers made by the two processes and also between a minority of the physical properties measured at corresponding locations on a side or segment, the similarities are sufficient to regard the new process as a near equivalent of the original process. Leathers made by the modified standard process on different occasions have highly reproducible properties and so the process is suitable for the study of the effect of variants in the leather-making operations on properties of the final leather.