LANXESS at ACLE 2017 with Sustainable Solutions for the Leather Industry

“We are committed to sustainability in terms of more efficient production, by-product material recycling and reduced emissions,” said Luis López-Remón, head of the Leather business unit (LEA) at LANXESS on August 18. The specialty chemicals company highlighted this at ACLE (All Chinese Leather Exhibition) in Shanghai. From August 30 to September 1, 2017, the company’s exhibit at the trade show focused on sustainable solutions.
The innovations include retanning agents from the Tanigan range that feature reduced residual monomer content, a new retanning agent from the Levotan X-Biomer range based on renewable raw materials, the innovative ReeL container concept for tanneries and water-based dyes from the new Levaderm WB range for leather finishing. “The new products are part of our ‘Sustainable Leather Management’ initiative, which we developed to expand and improve our product portfolio for sustainable leather production,” said López-Remón.
LANXESS’s Liquid Purification Technologies (LPT) business unit, which supplies the industry with high performance products for effective water treatment, was also be represented on the stand.

New retanning agents based on renewable raw materials

One of the greatest challenges facing the leather industry over the next few years is to become less dependent on fossil raw materials by gradually replacing petroleum based chemicals. LANXESS is heavily involved in developing advanced leather chemicals and with Levotan X-Biomer has created a class of retanning agents based on renewable raw materials. LANXESS offers this range for all key stages of the retanning process, and has now added the new Levotan X-Biomer RX liquid. Due to its outstanding selective filling characteristics, this is particularly well suited for use as a resin retanning agent for automobile leather. All products in the Levotan X-Biomer range are free of formaldehyde, zero VOC and neutral smell.

Recycling of shavings in leather manufacture – a sustainable approach for reusing by-products on site

Another sustainable approach in addition to “X-Biomer chemistry” is the “X-Biomer in situ” concept, in which leather by-products are not taken to large-scale industrial facilities far away from the tanneries to be processed into retanning agents. Instead, this is done, for the first time, in the actual tanneries where the by-products are generated.
In collaboration with Leverkusen based research institute INVITE, LANXESS has developed a pilot plant for manufacturing retanning agents from by-products of leather production that contain collagen and from organic biomass. The innovative plant for “Resource-efficient manufacturing of leather chemicals” (ReeL) has a modular structure and is designed to be used directly on site in tanneries. The practical tests are taking place with project partner HELLER-LEDER GmbH Co. KG from Hehlen, Lower Saxony, Germany.

New tanning agents with optimized molecular weight distribution

As one of the leading suppliers of poly-condensed sulfone based syntans, LANXESS is continuously working on further developing these products. Three new retanning agents – Tanigan LM EXP 4102, Tanigan LM LIQ EXP 4108, and Tanigan UL EXP 4103 – were introduced at ACLE. These are the result of systematically implementing an optimized production process, leading to a lower amount of residual monomers in the end product. Chrome leather retanned with these agents has an exceptionally full, soft feel, and a fine grain. It is easy to dye, “fatliquor” and mill.
Tanigan UL EXP 4103 can be used for all types of leather, including retanning chrome tanned leather and in vegetable tanning. The product has an excellent dispersion effect for even dyeing of the leather and outstanding penetration of vegetable tanning agents. With its low astringency, the fine grain is retained and the leather has a softer, more pleasant touch. Leather retanned with these three new products exhibits superior levels of heat and light resistance compared to standard syntans, both of which are known benefits of sulfone-based syntans.