Tanning is the process that converts raw animal skins and hides into leather. It permanently alters the protein structure of the skin so that it no longer decomposes and becomes a stable, durable material. The work can be done with animal, plant or mineral agents: oils from fish or animals, the plant product tannin from which the process takes its name, or salts of chromium. Ancient tanners soaked, pounded and scoured skins, loosened hair with urine, lime or putrefaction, and softened the hide by kneading it in dung or brain solutions, which made tanneries foul-smelling trades pushed to the edge of town. Modern practice runs in stages: preparation by curing, soaking and liming, then the tanning itself, then retanning with dyes and agents, and finally finishing. Vegetable tanning gives flexible hide for luggage and furniture, while chrome tanning is faster and gives stretchable leather for garments and handbags.
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Source Tanning (leather) (New World Encyclopedia)
In Field
Source Tanning (leather) (New World Encyclopedia)
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1. Tanning (leather) (New World Encyclopedia)
Ancient methods of tanning
Tanning was being carried out by the South Asian inhabitants of Mehrgarh between 7000-3300 B.C.E.
In Field: Chemical Engineering, Modern methods of tanning
Mineral tanning usually uses a chromium salt, particularly chromium sulfate.
Associated With: Bating (leather), Modern methods of tanning [associated-with]
hides may be treated with enzymes to soften them in a process called "bating."
View the SourceTanning (leather) (Wikipedia)
In Group: Chemical Production Processes, Lead paragraphQuote, In Group: Chemical Production Processes, Lead paragraph
is the process of treating skins and hides of animals to produce leather
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