146
P. S. Kumar et al.
during the tanning process, water use is usually released back into surface water or
percolates the groundwater. There is therefore a loss in terms of water resources for
other purposes.
10 Waterless Chrome Tanning Technology:
A Breakthrough to Reduce Water Footprint
from the Leather Industry
Wastewater generated from leather tanneries is undeniably one of the most polluted
water bodies used chromium. The chromium content in those water is at a high
level, and unfortunately expensive to remove. New technology has been developed
a few years ago in India to deal with this problem called waterless chrome tanning
technology (WCTT). Almost 2 billion square feet of leather is produced in India,
and 70,000 tons of basic chromium are used annually. Practically, the absorption of
chromium tanning agent unabsorbed gets released in addition to wastewater. Then, to
promote the environmental sustainability of leather processing and reduce the amount
of water used, the waterless chrome tanning technology is a good approach that has
attracted the interest of several countries in the world including Brazil, Vietnam,
New Zealand, South Africa, and Ethiopia. This technology displays many benefits
and outlines including.
• Complete elimination of water input for chrome tanning
• Simply handling process without the use of infrastructures nor chemical
• Reduction in water usage
• Suitable for all type of products varieties from hides and skins
• Reduce usage of chromium by 15–20% deriving from material saving
• Shorten the total dissolved solids in wastewater from this process by 20%
• Total elimination of pickling and basification processes by enhancing the
productivity
This new technology is therefore a good path to reduce water pollution and
scarcity, will also positively impact the water footprint of the leather industry and
may be translated in worldwide.
11 Steel Production in the World
Though using nowadays to build our new modern world, steel production has started
thousands of years back for the development of metallurgy in sub-Saharan African
countries and the Roman Empire as well. Steel has known deeply changes with new
production techniques especially in India (around BC) and in China (first century AD)
through the international steel market. Steelmaking has also known an exponential
P. S. Kumar et al.
during the tanning process, water use is usually released back into surface water or
percolates the groundwater. There is therefore a loss in terms of water resources for
other purposes.
10 Waterless Chrome Tanning Technology:
A Breakthrough to Reduce Water Footprint
from the Leather Industry
Wastewater generated from leather tanneries is undeniably one of the most polluted
water bodies used chromium. The chromium content in those water is at a high
level, and unfortunately expensive to remove. New technology has been developed
a few years ago in India to deal with this problem called waterless chrome tanning
technology (WCTT). Almost 2 billion square feet of leather is produced in India,
and 70,000 tons of basic chromium are used annually. Practically, the absorption of
chromium tanning agent unabsorbed gets released in addition to wastewater. Then, to
promote the environmental sustainability of leather processing and reduce the amount
of water used, the waterless chrome tanning technology is a good approach that has
attracted the interest of several countries in the world including Brazil, Vietnam,
New Zealand, South Africa, and Ethiopia. This technology displays many benefits
and outlines including.
• Complete elimination of water input for chrome tanning
• Simply handling process without the use of infrastructures nor chemical
• Reduction in water usage
• Suitable for all type of products varieties from hides and skins
• Reduce usage of chromium by 15–20% deriving from material saving
• Shorten the total dissolved solids in wastewater from this process by 20%
• Total elimination of pickling and basification processes by enhancing the
productivity
This new technology is therefore a good path to reduce water pollution and
scarcity, will also positively impact the water footprint of the leather industry and
may be translated in worldwide.
11 Steel Production in the World
Though using nowadays to build our new modern world, steel production has started
thousands of years back for the development of metallurgy in sub-Saharan African
countries and the Roman Empire as well. Steel has known deeply changes with new
production techniques especially in India (around BC) and in China (first century AD)
through the international steel market. Steelmaking has also known an exponential