Title: Pollution prevention by salt free preservation of raw goatskins through stepwise drying

Authors: C.L. Rai, M. Surianarayanan, A. Sivasamy, F. Chandrasekaran

Addresses: Process Development and Scale-up Group, Chemical Engineering Division, Central Leather Research Institute, Adyar, Chennai 600020, India. ' Cell for Industrial safety and Risk analysis, Chemical Engineering Division, Central Leather Research Institute, Adyar, Chennai 600020, India. ' Process Development and Scale-up Group, Chemical Engineering Division, Central Leather Research Institute, Adyar, Chennai 600020, India. ' Cell for Industrial safety and Risk analysis, Chemical Engineering Division, Central Leather Research Institute, Adyar, Chennai 600020, India

Abstract: An alternative process to traditional salt curing of skins has been explored in this study. A stepwise drying of raw goat skins under vacuum in the temperature range of 30-45°C resulted in acceptable moisture level of 19-20%. The dried skins were found to have a shelf life of more than five weeks. The experimental skins were processed to leather and the physical properties were tested and found to be comparable with control leather. The drying process has been modelled to obtain moisture distribution in the skin. The model data agree well with the experimental results.

Keywords: moisture content; diffusivities; skin; leather; DSC; differential scanning calorimetry; vacuum; TDS; total dissolved solids; pollution prevention; salt free preservation; raw goatskins; stepwise drying.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEE.2009.027806

International Journal of Environmental Engineering, 2009 Vol.1 No.3, pp.295 - 305

Published online: 11 Aug 2009 *

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