Abstract

Collagen was reacted with a number of commercially available cyclic, aliphatic anhydrides in an attempt to improve the subsequent aluminium tannage by introducing additional binding sites for the mineral. Succinic anhydride was found to be the most promising. An unsuccessful attempt was then made to treat collagen with 2-dodecen-l-ylsuccinic anhydride, a substance which would not only introduce additional carboxyl groups, but would also impart to the leather a substantive fatliquoring effect.