Investigation of the Process of Soaking when Processing Ostrich Skins

In this work, the results of a study of the process of soaking in the processing of exotic leather raw materials of ostrich skins were carried out. In order to reduce the negative impact of wastewater from the tanning industry on the environment and to accelerate the soaking process, an enzyme preparation of microbial origin Letan SE2 and a surfactant CH-22C, which meets the requirements of the European regulations REACH and ECHA, were used. When these chemicals are used in the soaking process, mucopolysaccharides and non-collagen proteins are intensively removed from the interfiber space, the moisture content in the skin tissue of the ostrich skin increases, and uniform soaking in thickness and area is ensured. Intensive and correct soaking process improves the quality of subsequent processing of the ostrich skin. The paper shows the possibility of carrying out the soaking process using environmentally friendly chemicals, the use of which allows reducing the level of technogenic impact of chemicals on the environment, which is very important for the preservation of natural objects.