IMPACT OF REUSING CHROME BATH WASTEWATER ON THE PHYSICAL-MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF SHEEP CRUST LEATHER

Candio J.R.; Tolentino J.C.; Trejo W.E. · Ecologia Aplicada (2025) · DOI: 10.21704/rea.v24i1.2276

Resumen

In the context of a contingency, the reuse of water in the tanning of hides is a viable alternative to reduce the generation of hazardous waste generated by this activity. With the aim of promoting the adoption of cleaner technologies and more sustainable practices, this study proposed applying an innovative tanning process to obtain sheep crust leather, consisting of the recovery of waste water from chrome plating to reincorporate it into the production cycle. To this end, before each tanning cycle, the chromium content in the water was quantified (T1: first bath, T2: second bath and T3: third bath), which allowed determining the wear of the chrome and evaluating the viability of its reuse. Finally, a physical-mechanical evaluation of the crust leather obtained after chroming was carried out, analyzing the crack strength (T1: 55.5N, T2: 66.3N, T3: 62.3 N, P > 0.05), grain breaking strength (T1: 51.6 N/mm, T2: 61.3 N/mm, T3: 57.3 N/mm, P > 0.05), and grain breaking strength (T1: 7.2mm, T2: 9.2 mm, T3: 7.6 mm, P < 0.05). Our findings revealed that the chrome plating wastewater could be reused up to three times without significantly compromising the leather properties, with the second cycle showing the best performance. Future research could explore the reuse of wastewater from other phases of the tanning process, as well as its impact on the leather finish. © Departamento Académico de Biología, Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Lima – Perú.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina