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Research Project: Improving the Quality of Animal Hides, Reducing Environmental Impacts of Hide Production, and Developing Value-Added Products from Wool

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Title: The physical properties, morphology and viscoelasticity of biobased sponges prepared from un-tanned hides

Author
item Liu, Cheng Kung
item SIDDIQUE, AISHA - Quaid-I-university Islamabad
item Latona, Nicholas - Nick
item Taylor, Maryann

Submitted to: American Leather Chemists Association Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2016
Publication Date: 6/22/2016
Citation: Liu, C., Siddique, A., Latona, N.P., Taylor, M.M. 2016. The physical properties, morphology and viscoelasticity of biobased sponges prepared from un-tanned hides [abstract]. American Leather Chemists Association Meeting. 16:1.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: One of our research endeavors to address ongoing challenges faced by the U.S. hide and leather industries is to develop innovative uses and novel biobased products from hides to improve prospective markets and to secure a viable future for hides and leather industries. We had previously investigated the production of nonwoven, green composites, and films from collagen fiber networks, which were extracted from un-tanned hides and from tannery solid wastes. Recently, we investigated the preparations of biobased sponges from un-tanned hides, including limed hides and delimed-bated hides, which correspond with their actual tannery waste of limed splits and their trimmings. The resultant biobased sponges have potential commercial applications in medical care. We also studied the effects of processing steps such as bating and alkaline treatments using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) on the physical properties, morphology and viscoelasticity of resultant sponges prepared from un-tanned hides. Observations showed that the treatments of fiber networks have significant effects on the properties of resultant sponges. Bating had a positive effect on reducing the apparent density of sponges, which were in the desirable apparent density ranges. The dynamic mechanic analysis showed alkaline treatments yielded stiffer sponges, thus indicating NaOH treatment of fiber networks is not a desirable processing step for preparing collagen sponges. SDS-PAGE analysis showed the resultant molecular weights were maintained in the range as a commercial Type 1 collagen.