# Salt-Free Pickling with Sulfonic Acid as an Approach to Cleaner Leather Processing

## TL;DR

This study explores using sulfonic acid instead of salt in leather processing to reduce environmental impact while maintaining quality.

## Contribution

The novel approach uses p-toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate for salt-free pickling in leather processing.

## Key findings

- Pickling with p-toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate has a similar effect on collagen as conventional methods.
- Experimental pickling reduces total dissolved solids, suspended solids, and chlorides in waste solutions.
- Chrome tanning efficiency improves significantly with the new method, requiring less chromium sulfate.

## Abstract

Recently, increasing attention has been paid to the application of sulfonic acids as alternative materials for the pickling process. The aim of the present study was to investigate the action of pickling with p-toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate on derma’s collagen and the influence of this action on subsequent processes and properties of chromed and crust leather. The application of p-toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate in the pickling process led to a similar effect on collagen compared with conventional process. The solutions after experimental pickling contained lower amounts of total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, and chlorides. The chrome tanning process is improved after the pickling with p-toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate: the exhaustion of chromium compounds reaches 98%, while after conventional pickling, it is only 68.7%; accordingly, lower amounts of basic chromium sulfate can be used for chrome tanning to achieve the same chromium content in the wet blue leather. The crust leather produced after experimental pickling has properties close to the conventional one.