Optimization of rawhide collagen defibrillization process

Abstract

The paper features the rawhide collagen defibrillization process in the elastic leather materials manufacturing. Optimal colloid-chemical properties of semi-processed products were defined by way of using mathematical optimization of rowhide liming process. It was found that during the alkaline treatment of raw material (in the operating temperature range) the degree of defibrillation of raw material raises (in proportion to the derm collagen swelling) with increase in the ratio of process solution to the mass of raw material, and the extremum of hydrothermal stability and leather yield can be estimated. It was also shown that the degree of swelling decreases with a decreasing ratio of sodium sulphide and sodium hydrosulphide, and the leather area yield reaches the maximum value at the equal proportion of these reagents. Multicriteria optimization of rawhide liming process using the Harrington’s desirability function was carried out. The developed technology of soaking and liming was tested under production conditions. The above-mentioned low-waste technology provides elastic leather materials with a yield increase by 3.5%, which meet the industry standards requirements.