Issue 35/2013 - LANXESS unveils innovative sustainable leather process technology

LANXESS's innovative sustainable leather process technology is unveiled

Lanxess has recently launched the X-Zyme innovative process, bringing groundbreaking technology
to the tanning preparation section of leather production.
The innovation of this process is that during immersion and ash maceration, only two microbial enzymes are used to significantly increase the quality of the bare skin, reduce the amount of waste and improve the efficiency
of the entire section.
This innovative enzyme-based technology was developed by LANXESS in cooperation with Danish biotechnology company Novozymes, which are also made
by Novozymes using bacterial fermentation.

Peltec X-Zyme S used in the immersion treatment is a glucosidase with customizable properties including rapid loosening of the skin and acceleration of the return process
.
This means that it only takes 4~6 hours to obtain excellent immersion effect
.
In addition, because this enzyme does not have proteolytic activity, even if the immersion time is extended, it will not cause collagen loss
.

Peltec X-Zyme U used in the ash maceration treatment is a special protease with high selectivity for prekeratin that can be used to remove hair and epidermis
.
The product mainly acts on the basement membrane of the epidermis, loosening the hair roots and preparing for
subsequent hair removal.
Compared to conventional processes, the process reduces the need for wetting agents (surfactants) and ash impregnation chemicals such as lime, sulfides and amines, thereby helping to improve wastewater quality and reduce sludge, chemical oxygen demand, sulfides and nitrogen content
.
In addition, this enzyme can also solve the problem of
hair root residue.

The X-Zyme process and products have been tested at the customer's plant on a production scale, proving that they are efficient, reliable, safe, and can be precisely controlled and reproduced
by adjusting parameters such as temperature and bath pH.
(Sasha)