Environment-friendly bio-processing of hides and skin to leather using enzymes in the pre-tanning process, a technology that can make India a world leader, is nearing commercialisation. The Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) the lead institute in the development of the new technology, is in talks with tanneries to field test the new process, and with leather chemical manufacturers for the large-scale production of the new bio-process materials.
A collaborative effort by a dozen research institutes and universities in the country under the New Millennium Technology Leadership Initiative (NMITLI) of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), resulted in this breakthrough, AB Mandal, director of CLRI, one of the CSIR Laboratories and the nodal agency for NMITLI for leather, said.
Mandal added that the NMITLI network developed 18 technology leads and shortlisted six combination of about 40 enzymes. CLRI scientists, in partnership with tanneries in different regions, would undertake field trials to assess the technical feasibility of these enzymes in processing leather.
The greatest challenge for the scientists, he said would be changing the mindset of the tanners and convincing them that quality leather could be produced using enzymes. The tanners are now using a combination of chemicals with enzymes for leather processing.
Under the new technology, a cocktail of enzymes alone would be used for the critical pre-tanning process, called beam house operations. This include de-haring, de-fleshing and opening up of the fibre quality of the hides.
The use of enzymes will have a dual effect. On the one hand, it would eliminate the environmental problems associated with the solid and liquid wastes. On the other, it would avoid chemical pollution of the tannery wastes that can be processed into useful materials.
According to a CLRI data, the amount of waste discharged from processing a tonne of leather includes about 750 kg of solid waste. Of this, about 350 kg would be lime-sulphide sludge, 40,000 liters of liquid waste and 450 kg of total dissolved solids. Mandal said when the bioprocess technology is operated the leather industry would be able to meet the Pollution Control Board norms on total dissolved solids in effluents and on solid waste in leather production.
Mandal said the development of the bioprocess of hides under the NMITLI was conducted in three phases. The first phase comprised of the research and development work. The technology was developed in the second phase and now we it is ready for the third phase of commercialization.
Meanwhile the collagen technology for wound care developed by CLRI has been commercialised by Shevroys Health Care Products, Salem. The collagen sheets produced from bovine tissues, collected from slaughter houses, is a cost-effective and affordable material to treat wounds, burns and ulcers. This import-substitute material developed and patented by CLRI was being produced in a world-class facility and marketed in India and abroad, R Krishnakumar, managing director, Shevroys Health Care Products, said.
CLRI was also in talks with a Malaysian company, floated by a team of doctors in that country, for the transfer of the collagen technology, Mandal said.