The Quebracho Colorado extracts and its derivates are worldwide known since 1900's as natural products that allow tanners to produce a wide variety of tanned leather with a natural feel and a beautiful look.
UNITAN, with its two factories ISO 9001-2015 certified, has the world's bestselling vegetable extract product line. Our vegetable extracts are environmentally-friendly and give our customers the best choice for their leather production in a natural way.
1. PIT AND DRUM METHOD
This is a mixed system with color and penetration pits and retannage in drums. When applying this method it is
advisable to use a number of "color" pits with a liquor concentration of 2 to 6 Bé and pH 5.0 / 5.2 and after
that a number of tanning pits with liquors having 8 to 12 Bé and pH 4.5 / 4.8. Tannin content, pH and salts
concentration in the pits should be controlled in order to ensure uniform batch quality. In this process,
delimed and pretanned leather is placed in color pits for 24 hours so as to provide an even, light color with
an appropriate grain. In the next step the leather is transferred to the tanning pits until full penetration
is achieved.
It is very important to keep the tannin non tannin ratio of the liquors at a value of 1.5 to
2, with regular pit draining and addition of extracts. The recommended temperature to achieve faster
penetration is between 22 and 26°C (5-10 days, depending on hide thickness). The purpose of drum retannage is
to add more vegetable extracts and increase weight and resistance. In order to ensure this, it is necessary to
monitor the concentration, pH, liquor circulation and temperature carefully. It is advisable to reach
temperatures of 36/38°C and pH value of 3.8/3.9 at the end of tannage, so as to ensure good fixation and
yield.
In all cases it is advisable to begin the retanning process with soluble powder extracts (ATO, ATG, LIGHTAN, CHD) and later, in the final stages, use up to 10/15% ATS, ATD, CHA extracts before acidification if necessary. Drum retannage may stop at 13 Bé for light leather or the "load" level may be increased for sole leather having a final liquor value of 14 to 16.
2. ONLY DRUM METHOD (with or without fleet)
This method achieves tannage in shorter times than the previous method. It starts with pickled skins at pH:
3.5 / 3.8 and liquor of above 6 ° Be. Tannage is forced by mechanical action, auxiliaries and the use of more
concentrated liquors. It can be done with the same quebracho extracts and dosing order than the pool method
drum. During the tanning it s necessary to work at low speed until total penetration is achieved, then acidify
to pH: 3.8 / 3.9 and reach a final temperature of the process of 36/38 ° C. For sole leather an offer of
approx. 45% of the different extracts is suggested and for pure Vachettas or Strap leather a suggested offer
of 30% would be requires (weight percentages on pelt weight).
3. CHROME LEATHER RETAN
It is advisable to use buffer type neutralizers, which act as buffer salts, softening neutralization and
reducing loose grain problems. In order to achieve better tensile strength, it is important to leave a small
blue chrome vein.
To a certain extent this has an effect on subsequent penetration of tannins and coloring matters (pH 4.2/4.4), which results in firmer leather. As pH increases, tensile strength is less and there is greater grain flexibility, which results in smoother leather (nappa).
Retan
The use of 2 / 3% soluble or semi soluble quebracho extract in natural leather in colored leather results in
leather with clearly defined chrome characteristics but with a smoother grain, slight flank filling and better
properties. Using 6 - 8% soluble or semi soluble quebracho extract results in leather that can easily be
buffed, with full flanks having good thickness and which can be embossed. The use of 10 -
20% extract will result in leather with distinct vegetable characteristics. It is important to use naphthalene
sulphonic syntans during retannage which mitigates the astringent effect of extracts, reduces loose grain
effect and eliminates the risk of grain overtanninig. If very light color leather is desired, it is advisable
to use LIGHTAN.
Fat Liquoring
It should be remembered that leather stuffed before retannage has a smoother grain and more resistant fiber.
On the other hand, if stuffing takes place after retannage vegetable features will-increase. As regards
leather undergoing retannage with 10/20% extracts, it is advisable to pre-stuff with a high penetration oil,
which enables higher fiber lubrication and increases tensile strength. This can be performed in two stages
during neutralization and before retannage.
This system can also be applied to upholstery and garment, which results in a firmer, more elastic grain.
4. SHOE UPPER LEATHER
It is
advisable to neutralize at pH 4.2/4.5 and if allowed by penetration requirements, it is also good to leave a
small chrome vein in order to increase tear strength. There can also be stuffing performed before retannage in
order to achieve a smoother grain.
5. NOBUCK
The use of 6/8% quebracho extract results in leather that can easily be buffed, with full flanks and good
thickness. Due to the penetration requirements of this kind of leather, it is necessary to neutralize at an
approximate pH value of 4.8 in order to improve resistance, pre-stuff in neutralization and before retannage,
besides adding to the extracts a naphthalenic sulphonic syntan in order to reduce grain looseness.
6. LEATHER GOODS – FULL VEGETABLE TYPE
Retannage may be performed with 15/30% quebracho extracts for color leather. It is important to neutralize at
a pH value of 4.8 in addition to pre-stuffing together with neutralization and before retannage so as to
improve tensile strength. It is also important to use naphthalenic sulphonic syntans together with the
extracts in order to help reduce grain looseness.
7. UPHOLSTERY / GARMENT
There are very good result in this field when retanning with 3/5% extract, which produces very warm touch. For
pastel colors, we recommend using 3% ATO, ATG, LIGHTAN, UNIQUE CHD, CHA, ATD. In order to achieve the
feel it is necessary to neutralize at pH 5+, with pre-stuffing in addition to the full stuffing before
retannage.
12 TIPS FOR THE PROPER USE OF VEGETABLE EXTRACTS