Studies on the decreasing of skins using a microbial lipase

Abstract

A procedure has been standardized for estimating the optimum conditions for the hydrolysis of skin lipid by a fungal lipase. The skin lipid is found to be optimally hydrolysed at a pH between 3.2 and 3.6 at 37°C for one hour. A process has been described for the manufacture of suede clothing leather using fungal lipase as the degreasing agent. Comparative chemical, physical and microscopical studies of the quality of suede clothing leather produced from both coarse wooled and time wooled sheep skins by using fungal lipase degreasing treatments have been carrried out. Although critical evaluation of the data showed minor differences in some respects, it would appear from the general trend of the results that fungal lipase showed good degreasing efficiency similar to that of standard slovent treatment.