Peruvian delegation looks at Argentinean solid waste idea
04/03/2015
INTI has developed and patented a process for developing a hydrolysate of collagen, which it believes will be of value inside and outside the tanning industry, from shavings, trimmings and other solid waste from the tanning process.
As well as using the hydrolysate to produce retanning agents for reuse in tanneries, it can be used in the production of fertilisers, as an additive to floor tiles and to animal feed. The leather industry in other parts of the world has used hydrolysate from solid waste to make products of this type before. Something less common is that the INTI project also involves making a biodegradable polymer that is of value in the packaging industry as a component in films.
The key to the process, INTI has said, is to treat the chrome shavings with sodium hydroxide and an enzyme that the institute said was commercially available and subject it to moderate heat to produce the hydrolysate.
It has certainly sparked interest in Peru. The recent delegation said it wanted to investigate new ways of making use of solid waste from tanners in the Trujillo cluster.
Share this story:
