The environmentally friendly dehairing process using a protease enzyme
Dona Rahmawati; Iwan Fajar Pahlawan; Gresy Griyanitasari
Center for Leather, Rubber and Plastic, Ministry of Industry
Abstract
Several studies have been conducted to reduce environmental problems arising from the tanning process. In this study, the dehairing process was developed using a protease enzyme to reduce the use of sulfides and lime. The purpose of this study was to determine the physical characteristics of the leather that is processed dehairing using a protease enzyme by reducing sulfide and lime compared to conventional dehairing. The dehairing process was done by immersion method and rotated with a drum. Furthermore, the tanning process was carried out using a variety of chrome and mimosa. The test results showed that the physical properties of the leather produced were equivalent. The resulting waste contains Chemical Oxygen Demand, Biochemical Oxygen Demand, Total Suspended Solid, Total Dissolved Solid, sulfide which is lower than conventional dehairing process. Thus, the enzymatic process developed offers enormous potential for an environmentally friendly tanning process.
Keywords: : dehairing; protease; leather, pollution; tanning
Topic: WASTE AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT