First part of the five stage training programme in Kanpur Leather Development Project is to provide on-site training at tannery shop floor level to supervisors, tanners, owner-managers on cleaner technologies, by an International Expert – Cleaner Tanning Technologies, Mr. Patrick Zerhusen.

A pilot scale experiment conducted on hair-save unhairing-liming on buffalo hides provided about 2% of hair. In commercial scale this will result in reduction f COD by 50% and suspended solids by 60%.

A commercial scale demonstration was made on 10 tonnes of chilled raw hides to process upto wetlbue, which is believed to be first-of-its kind in terms of the size of the demonstration. Hides were obtained at chilled condition through refrigerated container without salt preservation. This pilot demonstration batch itself avoided salt discharge of about 3 tonnes into the environment.

The following cleaner technologies were recommended for the tanneries:

Processing of fresh hides without application of salt for preservation
Measurement of water for processing
Desalting using mechanical means to reduce the salt discharge in waste water streams
Replacement of paddles by drums for liming
Partial replacement of sodium sulphide in liming with enzymes
Hair save unhairing-liming
Reduced use of ammonium salts in deliming
Improved chrome uptake and better chrome management methods
Proper segregation of chrome liquor and chrome recovery and reuse processes
Use of supernatant liquor from chrome recovery units in soaking operations
Proper pre-treatment units with mechanical dewatering equipment