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2013
Journal Article
Title
Cleantan - chromium tanning without chromium and water residues
Abstract
Fraunhofer UMSICHT has developed a new chromium tanning process principle to reduce the chromium contaminated sewage water, to save tanning agents and to reduce the process time. The first part of the lecture, given by Manfred Renner, head of business unit, will give a survey of the new tanning principle. The compressed natural gas carbon dioxide is used instead of water for the pickling and the tanning process. The use of different pressure ranges gives the possibility to control the pH value without using chemicals. A free from water and free from salt pickle is possible. The use of chromium can be controlled precisely and it is possible to use only as much chromium as can be fixed in the collagenic matrix. The lecture will show results achieved with technical- and preindustrial scale (650 kg split weight per batch) high-pressure equipment. Using carbon dioxide 14 million liters of chromium contaminated sewage water in the tanning process, 20 billion liters of sewage water to produce the tanning agents, 160 000 tons of chromium and 500 000 tons of salt could be saved regarding the worldwide market. The second part of the lecture, given by Prof. Dr. Weidner, head of the Fraunhofer Institute UMSICHT, will focus on the strategy of how to enter the market. For the prospective customers it will give the opportunity to see if the technology fits their companies and their main OEM customers. It will also be shown how easy the new equipment can be implemented in a running tannery.
Language
English
Keyword(s)