Leather Hexavalent Chromium Detoxification Agent
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Solution Overview
Problem
Chrome tanning agents used in leather production often result in leathers containing high levels of residual chromium, which can oxidize to toxic hexavalent chromium, posing health and environmental risks, and existing reducing agents like ascorbic acid are ineffective due to instability and inability to penetrate leather deeply.
Innovation Solution
A hexavalent chromium treatment agent comprising gallic acid ester, tannic acid, and ascorbic acid derivatives that reduce hexavalent chromium to trivalent chromium, remaining stable and effective within the leather, ensuring compliance with regulatory limits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If chrome tanning agents are used to achieve high heat resistance, flexibility, and elasticity, then the durability of leather is improved, but toxic hexavalent chromium is generated during production and storage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by incorporating a reducing agent into the chrome tanning agent before use. This reducing agent proactively prevents the oxidation of trivalent chromium to hexavalent chromium during storage and production processes, eliminating the harmful factor before it can be generated while maintaining the durability benefits of chrome tanning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of chromium oxidation into a benefit by using a reducing agent that transforms any formed hexavalent chromium back into non-toxic trivalent chromium. This approach maintains the effectiveness of chrome tanning while neutralizing the toxicological risk, effectively turning a harmful process into a safe one.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If existing reducing agents like ascorbic acid are used to detoxify hexavalent chromium, then chromium toxicity is reduced, but the reducing agents are unstable and cannot penetrate leather deeply
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite material approach by combining the reducing agent with a carrier substance that enhances penetration into leather and improves stability. This composite formulation allows the reducing agent to effectively reach and neutralize hexavalent chromium deep within the leather matrix while maintaining sufficient stability for practical application.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a carrier or mediator substance that facilitates the delivery of the reducing agent into the leather. This intermediary enables deep penetration by overcoming the leather's resistance to external agents, while also protecting the reducing agent from premature degradation, thus solving both the penetration and stability problems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The treatment agent effectively detoxifies hexavalent chromium, maintaining non-toxicity and stability over time, even under exposure to sweat and atmospheric moisture, thereby ensuring the safety and environmental friendliness of leather products.
Implementation Method 1
ascorbic acid, and (iii) a compound having a reducing action on hexavalent chromium... reduce hexavalent chromium to trivalent chromium
Implementation Method 2
gallic acid ester, tannic acid... containing a gallic acid ester, tannic acid or a tannin
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
An object of the invention is to provide a heat-resistant hexavalent chromium removal agent, which is capable of remaining in a leather or leather article for a long period of time and stably detoxifying hexavalent chromium over the long term even when a leather or leather article contains hexavalent chromium, and a leather or leather article, in which the hexavalent chromium content is less than 3 ppm. The leather or leather article of the present invention contains at least: an organic compound (A) having a structure shown in chemical formula (1) and hydroxyphenyl but not aldehyde and carboxyl, which organic compound has a property to reduce hexavalent chromium to trivalent chromium; and trivalent chromium, and the hexavalent chromium content determined in accordance with ISO 17075: 2008-02 is less than 3 ppm.