Advantages of Utilizing Microwave in Soft Leather Drying

The leather was dried by microwave and compared with the leather dried by oven in mechanical properties, softness, shrinkage temperature, microstructure as well as uniformities of chrome tanning agent, fatliquoring agent and dyestuff as new method for soft leather drying to keep and improve its softness and comprehensive properties. The results indicated that microwave drying would not damage leather collagen structure. Meanwhile, as microwave drying was even and would promote the combinations of collagen with other chemicals, the softness and mechanical properties of microwave dried leather were improved, in addition, the shrinkage temperature and uniformities of chrome tanning agent, fatliquoring agent and dyestuff were also promoted. Moreover, much more orderly and porous arrangement but less adhesion in collagen matrix of microwave dried leather were observed. These phenomena illustrated microwave dried leather could meet the high quality demands of leather better in softness and uniformity. To sum up, microwave has many advantages in drying soft leather products.