Abstract

A comparative study of the fatliquoring characteristics of a sulphated blend of castor oil and rubberseed oil (sulphated blend) and, an imported sulphated oil has been attempted on goat skins that were subjected to full vegetable, chrome retanned and semi-chrome tannages. The sulphated blend was found to compare favourably with an imported equivalent that is commonly used in Nigerian tanneries. In addition, the blend appears to fix more oil on the leathers than the control. The product rendered semi-chrome and chrome retanned leathers more supple than the chrome and vegetable tanned leather. All leathers fatted with the sulphated blend meet most of the International Standard Organisation (ISO) specifications for physical and chemical properties for their respective categories.