Articles - Leather Technology Magazine Nš79
Applications of Biotechnology in Leather
Mariliz Gutterres1,, UAline Dettmer1,, Luciani A. Amaral1,, Franck R.
Souza1, Marcelo F. de Sousa2
1,Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Chemical
Engineering Department, Laboratory for Leather and Environment
Studies (LACOURO)
Rua Eng. Luiz Englert, s/no, 90.040-040, Porto Alegre – RS, Brasil
mariliz@enq.ufrgs.br
2Buckman Laboratories Ltda.
Rod. Anhanguera km 1075, Sumaré – SP, Brasil
mfsousa@buckman.com
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Applications of Biotechnology in Leather
Keywords: biotechnology, leather, enzymes.
ABSTRACT
There are any definitions for biotechnology, in according with the
convention about biology diversity of ONU: “Biotechnology is the
use of knowledge about biologic processes and about living beings
proprieties, with the end to resolve problems and create utility
products”. In recent years the industries have seen a growth in the use of
biotechnology, using processes like biocatalyst and biotransformation.
The use of biotechnology presents a lot of advantage for industries.
Some advantages are: commonly the reaction or biotechnological
processes occur at low temperatures and at atmospheric pressure, the
process has a high space-time yield, renewable ingredients and in many
cases there is reduction of environment impact. In leather production,
biotechnology, mostly using enzymes, can be applied in different
steps of process: soaking, unhairing, bating, dyeing, degreasing or in
effluent and proteinaceous solid wastes treatment. In the present study,
two processes of soaking and liming were tested, an enzyme-assisted
test, using chemicals and enzymes, and a conventional test using only
chemicals. From the analysis of chloride removal and fat removal
from the hide and of SEM images, it was possible to realize that the
enzyme-assisted is better when the variable in question is the time in
the soaking, as well as it is more efficient for the unhairing stage. In
other studies, the experiments to remove chromium from leather wastes
through enzymatic action, showed reduction of 53.7% of residues
mass. Experments of waste treatment with bacterial Pseudomonas
aeruginosas obtained reduction of 57.4% of chromium quantity presentinitially. So, biotechnology can be used in leather production and it will
contribute for the reduction of pollution, principally, of soil and water.
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