Metal-free tanning method

Abstract

Method (1) for metal-free tanning of a quantity of hide having initial weight (w), said quantity of hide being contained in a drum, wherein said method (1) comprises at least one tanning treatment (B) of said hide including at least the following operating steps: B.1 feeding aliphatic aldehyde into said drum, in a percentage ranging between about 1% and 3% by weight with respect to the initial weight (w) of said hide, optionally equal to about 2% by weight, and B.2 moving said drum for a time period of at least about 10 min, optionally approximately 20 min at an operating speed between 1 and 8 revolutions/minute, preferably comprised between 4 and 5 revolutions/minute; B.3 feeding citric acid into said drum, in a percentage ranging between about 0.1% and 0.3% by weight with respect to the initial weight (w) of said hide, optionally equal to about 0.2% by weight, and B.4 moving said drum for a time period of at least about other 10 min, optionally approximately 20 min at said operating speed; B.5 feeding aliphatic aldehyde into said drum, in a percentage ranging between about 1% and about 3% by weight with respect to the initial weight (w) of said hide, optionally equal to about 2% by weight, and B.6 moving said drum for a time period of at least about 150 min, optionally approximately 180 min at said operating speed; B.7 feeding sodium formate into said drum, in a percentage ranging between about 0.3% and about 0.7% by weight with respect to the initial weight (w) of said hide, optionally equal to about 0.5% by weight, and B.8 moving said drum for a time period of at least about 20 min, optionally approximately 30 min at said operating speed; B.9 feeding magnesium oxide into said drum, in a percentage ranging between about 0.3% and about 0.7% by weight with respect to the initial weight (w) of said hide, optionally equal to about 0.5% by weight, and B.10 moving said drum for a time period of at least about 60 min, optionally approximately 90 min at said operating speed; B.11 feeding water into said drum, at a temperature ranging between about 30° C. and about 60° C., optionally equal to about 50° C., in a percentage ranging between about 30% and 50% by weight with respect to the initial weight (w) of said hide, optionally equal to about 40% by weight, and B.12 moving said drum for a time period of at least about 100 min, optionally approximately 120 min at said operating speed; B.13 feeding aliphatic aldehyde into said drum, in a percentage ranging between about 1% and 5% by weight with respect to the initial weight (w) of said hide, optionally equal to about 3% by weight, and B.14 moving said drum for a time period of at least about 100 min, optionally approximately 120 min at said operating speed; and then B.15 moving said drum for a maintaining period comprised between about 10 and about 16 hours, optionally approximately 14 hours, at a first maintaining speed ranging between about 1 and 5 revolutions/hour, optionally comprised between 2 and 4 revolutions/hour, even more optionally equal to about 3 revolutions/hour.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.