An Eco-Friendly Approach to Preserve Goatskins Using Tamarindus Indica Leaf

Abstract

Hides and skins, the main raw materials for leather industries, are traditionally preserved with sodium chloride (NaCl). Due to the excessive use of salt (around 40 to 50% w/w) in the curing process, total dissolved solids (TDS), and salinity are produced in large quantities by the soaking effluent during the leather processing. To address the resulting environmental threat from the tanneries and replace traditional curing, plant-based curing is a cutting-edge green technology. In this study, Tamarindus indica leaves were used as a combination of 5% powder + 10% salt and 10% paste + 10% salt to preserve goat skin for 28 days. The organoleptic characteristics, hydrothermal stability, moisture content, nitrogen content, and bacterial load were periodically monitored. After curing, the goatskin was processed into leather, the environmental impact of the wastewater was evaluated, and its physical and fibre strength was assessed. The TDS value, chloride content, biochemical oxygen demand, and chemical oxygen demand were reduced up to 65.62%, 69.38%, 31.08%, and 27.06% respectively. The prepared shoe-upper leather exhibited equivalent physical properties compared to the control. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image ensured the conformity of the fibre structure of the experimental leather with control. A significant correlation was seen among the skin preservation efficiency parameters, while the strongest correlation was (r = -0.996, p<0.001) between moisture content and shrinkage temperature. Therefore, T. indica leaves powder as well as paste could be an effective curing agent by reducing the use of salt in leather industries.