The many advantages offered by chrome tanning justify its widespread use for
production of almost all types of leather. However, the traditional chromium(III) tanning process is
constantly under threat from the pressure of legislation, and ever-tightening restrictions require to
minimize chromium-containing effluents discharge and chromium-containing wastes production.
Recently, the manufacture and use of chromium(III) free tanning agents compounds have been
studied intensively. Among these, Titanium (IV)-based salts is one of the most promising
substitutes.
In this study, the use of titanyl sulfate as tanning agent for the production of high-quality bovine
upper leather was investigated. In order to optimize the titanium tanning performances, a
comparative evaluation, on pilot-scale, of citrate and lactate ions as masking agents was performed.
The developed process has been validated through various analyses of the obtained crust leathers
such as shrinkage temperature, scanning electron microscopy, and physical testing. The final leather
obtained with the innovative method shows similar properties to those of the conventional tanned
leather in terms of technical and mechanical properties
