Leather industry explores new chrome tanning technology

Tribune News Service

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Jalandhar, September 3

A Workshop and Technology Transfer Meet on Waterless Chrome Tanning Technology (WLCT) was organised recently in the city by the Central Leather Research Institute (CSIR), Chennai, in association with its Regional Centre, Jalandhar.

A team of six senior scientists from CLRI consisting of Dr J Raghava Rao, chief scientist, P Saravanan, chief scientist, Dr P Thanikaivelan, principal scientist, Dr B Madhan, principal scientist, PS Suresh Kumar, principal scientist and Dr R Aravindhan, scientist along with scientists from CLRI Regional Centre, Jalandhar, had conducted demonstrations of WLCT.

The pieces of leathers made during the demonstrations in the three tanneries were displayed during the workshop for showing the outcomes of the successful demonstration to the leather industry.

Shishir Kumar Misra, chief scientist and in charge of CLRI Regional Centre, Jalandhar, welcomed the guests and participants. The workshop got an overwhelming response from the leather industry. In all, 44 owners and representatives of leather industry participated in the workshop. Kamal Kishore Yadav, Deputy Commissioner, Jalandhar, was the chief guest at the workshop.

Guest of honour IS Paul, Drish Shoes Ltd, said the industry needed to do things differently because people were expecting something different. He assured that everyone would try to propagate this new WLCT in all tanneries of Jalandhar.

Lt Col JS Paul (retd) of Paulbro Leathers Pvt Ltd and president of the Punjab Leather Federation, Jalandhar, expressed his satisfaction over the demonstration conducted by CLRI scientists in his tannery. He said it was an innovative technology and the results were very exciting. He explained the advantages of WLCT as 100 per cent absorption of chrome salt, reduction in TDS, no use of common salt, sulphuric acid and water and no discharge of chrome containing effluents. The process would also help in eliminating chrome recovery plants in the tanneries. The most important advantage of this technology was that the sludge produced after the treatment of effluents would be chrome free and hence non-hazardous, which could be disposed of easily as landfill or for other uses.