Abstract

In this work, a degreasing process using an ethoxylated fatty alcohol has been applied to pickled English domestic sheepskins. A standard substrate has been used to determine the best degreasing conditions as a function of pH, surfactant offer, degreasing time and treatment with lipases which are active at neutral pH. Once determined, the degreasing conditions have been applied to whole skins. The influence of adding acid proteases and acid lipases during the pickle process and that of adding neutral lipases during the degreasing treatment has been studied. Given that, the higher the degreasing effectiveness, the higher the COD values of the degreasing effluents, the surfactant offer has been optimized to improve degreasing effectiveness with as little pollution as possible. The effect of the addition of enzymes on degreasing effec tiveness has been compared to that produced by implementing degreasing processes with a pre-tanning operation. An aqueous degreasing process with enzyme addition for wooled English domestic sheepskins for “double face” leather articles is recommended.