Improving of Leather Liquid Finishing through Usage of Polymeric Compounds

Nowadays, leather industry is suffering from low quality of raw materials, usage of efficient and environment unfriendly materials. This situation may be corrected by upgrading the existing or developing new technologies using efficient chemical materials, such as polymeric compounds. The aim of the study was to improve the leather dyeing processes through usage of water-soluble polymers derivatives of acrylic and maleic acids in the direction of simplification and reduction of processing materials consumption, ensuring high product quality, establishing the mechanism of interaction between these materials and collagen. The reactions in the “collagen-polymeric compounds-dye” system were studied using IR-spectroscopy. The fiber preparation from the untanned leather industry waste was used for the collagen prototype. The data obtained show correlation between interaction type in the system under study as well as leather properties and processing conditions. We have established a positive effect of investigated polymers on the physical, mechanical, and hygienic leather properties. It can be explained through their ability to be absorbed on the surface of the derma structural elements; to interact with them and other applied reagents (tannins, dyes etc.), there by promoting structure formation and improving product quality.