Abstract

Tanning involves economic and environmental benefits, it transfers low-value by-products (animal hide and skin) into value-added products (natural leather). Introducing fatty matter into the inter-spaces of tanned leather (stiff and unusable) – fatliquoring, restores the fat removed in tanning and restores flexibility to the leather. This article provides an in-depth understanding of the process. Previous chemical treatment and building of a fatliquor emulsion are the watershed points in the process and the main factor affecting the efficiency of the process is the arrival of the fatty substance to the collagen fibrils which are thus coated with a thin layer of fats that promote sliding of fibrils and prevent adhesion. Successful fatliquoring is achieved through using an emulsion of specific particle size to enable the oil droplets to penetrate the leather reaching to fibril level.