The Leather Tanning Process

Leather Tanning Processes

The tanning process requires experts and leather tannery equipment to start a leather tannery company and the process.

1. Pre-tannery: In order to expel salts used in leather preservation, the leather may be soaked when it arrives at the tannery. This is carried out in rotating drums that have a capacity of 200 hides.

• Liming: The process of softening and enhancing the hide to give it the softness and flexibility required for upholstery leather involves removing the hair and epidermis and applying a leather tanning chemicals solution of lime (calcium hydroxide) and sodium sulfide.
• Splitting: The hide is divided into layers. Fine, smooth-grain leather will result from the top, or grain, layer. Suede or split leather is used on the bottom for other purposes.

2. Tanning: The pre-tanned hide is turned into the leather using this process. The hide is penetrated fairly quickly (within 24 to 48 hours). A fine, soft, modern finish is produced after processing the resultant pale duck-egg blue. Other methods combine vegetables with syntans and polymers as a substitute for chromium tanning when it is not possible.

The following additional types of leather tanning techniques are.

• Tanning only with plants.
• Synthetic tanning.
• Tannin with oil.
• Tanning in combination.

3. Selecting

Excess water is drained from the hide after tanning. The quantity and distribution of natural features and flaws are then used to assign grades to hides. The highest caliber hides are required for aniline and nubuck leathers. Less desirable hides may be used for leather that has been heavily coated or embossed.

4. Dressing.

In order to dress the hides, you must:

• Give uniform thickness to hides through shaving.
• Leather is colored by adding dyes during the dying process.
• Re-tanning: When tailoring the physical properties of the leather to a specific use, additional tanning agents may be added.
• Setting is a process that mechanically takes out wrinkles and extra water.
• The hides are either vacuum dried or stretched-dried on big frames.
• Trimming- The jagged and rough edges are taken off.

5. Done

These are the goals of finishing, and these are applied;

• to reduce the appearance of grain imperfections without sacrificing the leather product’s inherent beauty.
• to impart the necessary amount of gloss.
• to guarantee that the leather is flexible, moldable, and soft.
• a more protective surface to provide.
• the creation of a sanitizable surface
• to create a unique effect, like an antique appearance.