The utilization of sodium lignosulphonate extracted from Egyptian rice straw in leather tanning process

Massive quantities of rice straw are burned annually in Egypt and caused environmental hazards. The present study investigated the utilization of rice straw to produce sodium lignosulphonate (SLS) as a water-soluble derivative of lignin in leather tanning and evaluate its usage as a tanning or re-tanning material as well as its effect on leather quality. The results of testing SLS as a leather tanning agent were unsatisfactory due to its slight effect on shrinkage temperature of leathers, unlike its use as a re-tanning material. Four concentrations of SLS (0%, 5%, 10%, and 20%) were used in re-tanning forty of sheep wet-blues. The results showed that using SLS as a re-tanning agent with concentration till 10% from pelts weight enhances some organoleptic properties, such as fullness and general appearance together with slight improvement in physical properties of leathers. Moreover, the addition of SLS with concentration 20% led to an excessive swelling in the collagen fibers as shown from depicted scanning electron micrographs and decreased trends of physical properties

The utilization of sodium lignosulphonate extracted from Egyptian rice straw in leather tanning process

Massive quantities of rice straw are burned annually in Egypt and caused environmental hazards. The present study investigated the utilization of rice straw to produce sodium lignosulphonate (SLS) as a water-soluble derivative of lignin in leather tanning and evaluate its usage as a tanning or re-tanning material as well as its effect on leather quality. The results of testing SLS as a leather tanning agent were unsatisfactory due to its slight effect on shrinkage temperature of leathers, unlike its use as a re-tanning material. Four concentrations of SLS (0%, 5%, 10%, and 20%) were used in re-tanning forty of sheep wet-blues. The results showed that using SLS as a re-tanning agent with concentration till 10% from pelts weight enhances some organoleptic properties, such as fullness and general appearance together with slight improvement in physical properties of leathers. Moreover, the addition of SLS with concentration 20% led to an excessive swelling in the collagen fibers as shown from depicted scanning electron micrographs and decreased trends of physical properties

Potential Application of Used Coffee Grounds in Leather Tanning

Safety of environment and human health is an essential requirement of modern industrial techniques. Therefore, using natural agents in tanning industry may emerge as a trusted method to avoid the chemical contamination caused by using traditional chromium salts in tanning process. This study aimed to evaluate the hot water extract of used coffee grounds (UCGs) as a vegetable tanning agent. The collected UCGs were dried and extracted with hot water at 90oC for 2h. The phytochemical screening properties of UCGs extract were determined. Sufficient amount of extract was prepared to be used in leather tanning. Three groups were tanned with UCGs extract solely at concentrations of 20, 30 or 40% of pelts’ weight, while another three groups were tanned with the same concentrations and then re-tanned with 10% of a synthetic tanning agent “Phenol sulfonates”. On tanned leathers, organoleptic, physical and chemical properties were determined; scanning electron micrographs were depicted to examine the leather surface and collagen fiber bundles. Analysis of UCGs extract revealed that it has good tanning properties, as it contained tannins (14.92%), tannins/non tannins ratio (2.06), hide powder (39.57) and Stiasny number (21.16). The results of leather properties showed that using UCGs extract alone at concentration of 40% achieved the best results for the vegetable tanning where the tanned leather had higher (P<0.05) tensile strength, tearing strength and shrinking temperature than that treated with the lower level of 20% UCGs extract. However, 40% of UCGs extract is highly recommended to be used to accomplish the required shrinkage temperature that should be ≥ 70oC. UCGs extract could be successfully used as tanning agent in vegetable tanning to produce durable leathers with good fullness; it may be used for different manufacturing products, such as footwear and bags. Moreover, using a combination of UCGs extract at any of the used concentrations with phenol sulfonates 10% led to significant improvement in all studied traits as compared with using UCGs extract alone

The Utilization of Sodium Lignosulphonate Extracted From Egyptian Rice Straw in Leather Tanning Process

Massive quantities of rice straw are burned annually in Egypt and caused environmental hazards. The present study investigated the utilization of rice straw to produce sodium lignosulphonate (SLS) as a water-soluble derivative of lignin in leather tanning and evaluate its usage as a tanning or re-tanning material as well as its effect on leather quality. The results of testing SLS as a leather tanning agent were unsatisfactory due to its slight effect on shrinkage temperature of leathers, unlike its use as a re-tanning material. Four concentrations of SLS (0%, 5%, 10%, and 20%) were used in re-tanning forty of sheep wet-blues. The results showed that using SLS as a re-tanning agent with concentration till 10% from pelts weight enhances some organoleptic properties, such as fullness and general appearance together with slight improvement in physical properties of leathers. Moreover, the addition of SLS with concentration 20% led to an excessive swelling in the collagen fibers as shown from depicted scanning electron micrographs and decreased trends of physical properties

The Utilization of Sodium Lignosulphonate Extracted From Egyptian Rice Straw in Leather Tanning Process

Massive quantities of rice straw are burned annually in Egypt and caused environmental hazards. The present study investigated the utilization of rice straw to produce sodium lignosulphonate (SLS) as a water-soluble derivative of lignin in leather tanning and evaluate its usage as a tanning or re-tanning material as well as its effect on leather quality. The results of testing SLS as a leather tanning agent were unsatisfactory due to its slight effect on shrinkage temperature of leathers, unlike its use as a re-tanning material. Four concentrations of SLS (0%, 5%, 10%, and 20%) were used in re-tanning forty of sheep wet-blues. The results showed that using SLS as a re-tanning agent with concentration till 10% from pelts weight enhances some organoleptic properties, such as fullness and general appearance together with slight improvement in physical properties of leathers. Moreover, the addition of SLS with concentration 20% led to an excessive swelling in the collagen fibers as shown from depicted scanning electron micrographs and decreased trends of physical properties

<i>Boswellia serrata</i> Resin Extract in Diets of Nile Tilapia, <i>Oreochromis niloticus</i>: Effects on the Growth, Health, Immune Response, and Disease Resistance to <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>

The influences of Boswellia serrata resin extract (BSRE) as a feed additive on the growth performance, immune response, antioxidant status, and disease resistance of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus L. were assessed. One hundred-forty four fingerlings (initial weight: 21.82 ± 0.48 g) were randomly allotted into four groups with three replicates where they were fed on one of four treatments with four levels of Boswellia serrata resin extract 0, 5, 10, or 15 g kg−1, BSRE0, BSRE5, BSRE10, BSRE15, respectively for eight weeks. After the end of the feeding trial, the fish were challenged with Staphylococcus aureus, and mortalities were noted. The final body weight, total body weight gain, and the total feed intake were quadratically increased in BSRE5 treatment (p p p p p p S. aureus challenged fish. The histoarchitecture of the gills and kidney was normal in the BSRE5 treatment and moderately changed in BSRE10 and BSRE15 treatments. The splenic lymphoid elements were more prevalent, and the melano-macrophage centers (MMC) were mild to somewhat activated in BSRE supplemented treatments. Dietary BSRE supplementation improved the intestinal histomorphology. It can be concluded that BSRE addition can enhance the antioxidant activity, immune status, and disease resistance of O. niloticus to S. aureus infection. The level of 5 g kg−1 BSRE can improve fish growth without causing harmful effects on fish health. The highest levels of BSRE are not recommended as they badly affected the histoarchitecture of many vital organs

Possible Application of Using Modified Black Liquor from Rice Straw in Leather Tanning

Ensuring environmental and human safety is a crucial requirement in modern industrial practices. Consequently, the utilization of natural substances in the tanning industry could serve as a reliable approach to prevent chemical contamination associated with the use of traditional chromium salts during the tanning process. This study aimed to assess the potential application of black liquor derived from rice straw as a tanning agent for leather. The black liquor was prepared using the Kraft method, and a modified version called modified black liquor (MBL) was created by gradually reducing the pH from 13 to 7. Subsequently, MBL was employed in the tanning of pickled sheep pelts using four different concentrations: 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% of the pelts' weight. The physical, chemical, and organoleptic properties of the resulting MBL-tanned leathers were compared with those of leathers tanned with quebracho extracts to evaluate the suitability of MBL as a tanning agent. The findings demonstrated that MBL leathers exhibited slightly lower physical and organoleptic properties when compared to the quebracho-tanned leathers. Increasing the concentration of MBL up to 30% was sufficient to enhance the properties of the tanned leathers, while concentrations exceeding this threshold did not yield any significant improvements in the leather's properties. Consequently, the study recommends the use of MBL in leather tanning either in combination with other tanning agents or as a re-tanning agent to enhance the fullness, smoothness, and overall physical quality of the leather, thereby elevating its overall quality

Enhancement of Structural, Optical and Photoelectrochemical Properties of n−Cu₂O Thin Films with K Ions Doping toward Biosensor and Solar Cell Applications

n-type Cu2O thin films were grown on conductive FTO substrates using a low-cost electrodeposition method. The doping of the n−Cu2O thin films with K ions was well identified using XRD, Raman, SEM, EDX, UV-vis, PL, photocurrent, Mott–Schottky, and EIS measurements. The results of the XRD show the creation of cubic Cu2O polycrystalline and monoclinic CuO, with the crystallite sizes ranging from 55 to 25.2 nm. The Raman analysis confirmed the presence of functional groups corresponding to the Cu2O and CuO in the fabricated samples. Moreover, the samples’ crystallinity and morphology change with the doping concentrations which was confirmed by SEM. The PL results show two characteristic emission peaks at 520 and 690 nm which are due to the interband transitions in the Cu2O as well as the oxygen vacancies in the CuO, respectively. Moreover, the PL strength was quenched at higher doping concentrations which reveals that the dopant K limits e−/h+ pairs recombination by trapped electrons and holes. The optical results show that the absorption edge is positioned between 425 and 460 nm. The computed Eg for the undoped and K−doped n−Cu2O was observed to be between 2.39 and 2.21 eV. The photocurrent measurements displayed that the grown thin films have the characteristic behavior of n-type semiconductors. Furthermore, the photocurrent is enhanced by raising the doped concentration, where the maximum value was achieved with 0.1 M of K ions. The Mott–Schottky measurements revealed that the flat band potential and donor density vary with a doping concentration from −0.87 to −0.71 V and 1.3 × 1017 to 3.2 × 1017 cm−3, respectively. EIS shows that the lowest resistivity to charge transfer (Rct) was attained at a 0.1 M concentration of K ions. The outcomes indicate that doping n−Cu2O thin films are an excellent candidate for biosensor and photovoltaic applications