RiBioPel: this is the acronym given to the recently concluded research project of which Corichem was the leading partner. Meaning Bio-sustainable Leather Finishing, it is not just an advertising slogan, but an out-and-out goal achieved. Not merely theoretical research that creates a new category of chemical products for the tanning sector, but an industrially applicable reality. This project, which was accomplished thanks to the successful partnership between Corichem, Sintex, the University of Padua and Gidue Pellami, led to the realization of a new paradigm in leather finishing. The project earned funding from the European Community under the complementary operational plan to the ERDF ROP 2014-2020 to support collaborative R&D activities aimed at developing new sustainable technologies.
The aim of the project was to develop a package of technologies that would enable the enhancement of leather by creating a finishing layer that is not only inherently more sustainable, as it is produced at the highest possible bio-based content, but also capable of being applied with innovative technology that was also developed as part of the project and is more environmentally friendly and safer for the operator. Corichem has had many years of experience in the synthesis and formulation of chemicals for the tanning industry and has been able to develop a range of bio-based finishing products. This was achieved by starting with the synthesis of a new series of resins, which, in addition to their bio-based content, have properties that are unique and completely new to the tanning industry market.
These substances were developed to meet three requirements: a high bio-based content, the ability to undergo embossing processes at low temperatures and pressures, and to be single-component with cross-linking at room temperature. The key project partner for the development of this technology was the University of Padua, and in particular the research group of Prof. Mammi, director of the Department of Chemical Sciences, who, with the help of the CNR group of the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry located in Padua, contributed to the characterization of the newly developed chemical technology. These products prove to be more environmentally friendly given their biobased origin and the possibility of being embossed at a low temperature and cross-linked at room temperature. Indeed, these products are single-component and do not require the addition of any external crosslinker for their curing, nor do they need to be subjected to high temperatures as with blocked isocyanates. This is an advantage not only in terms of increased competitiveness of the leather finishing process but also for personnel and the environment, as there is no longer any need to use and market external crosslinkers or two-component systems whose toxicity to humans and ecotoxicity is well known. The resins produced can cover a wide range of articles, which were developed by GIDUE during the project.
The state of the art found in the technical equipment scene prior to this project did not allow the full potential of the newly developed water-based resins to be fully exploited. Thanks to the fundamental contribution of Sintex, a pilot plant was thus set up to produce leather with these new technologies that enable leather finishing without using high temperatures or crosslinkers. This finishing system is also able to imprint the desired design on the leather surface by applying significantly lower pressures compared to those usually used in this production stage. The developed pilot plant is fully functional and allows the production process to be faithfully replicated on a small scale, which can then be transferred with the necessary adaptations to the industrial plant.
Ultimately RiBioPel is: A finishing system that uses bio-based products.
- A finishing system that uses single-component products, which crosslink at room temperature.
- A finishing system that allows the embossing of leathers at low temperatures and pressures.
- An innovative application system that exploits the unique characteristics of these types of resins.
- An easily industrialized finishing system, tested on semi-industrial pilot plants, and competitive for the market.
