Single-bath chrome tanning
What is single-bath chrome tanning?
Single-bath chrome tanning is a type of chrome tanning that’s used mainly to tan sole leather. During the 24-hour chrome tanning process, 1.5% of the chromium sulfate is absorbed into the hide, giving it a distinctive green-blue colour. Outdoor leather is usually dyed using tanbark (a vegetable tanning method) which gives the leather a tan or light red-brown colour. Sole leather’s colour is only recognisable in the middle.
What is single-bath chrome-tanned leather like?
A certain pH value, chromium oxide content, basicity, and presence/type of masking need to be adhered to when tanning hides. Particular values for each of these aspects are important for creating a certain type of leather. The tanning agents used in the single-bath chrome tanning process make the leather smoother and more tear-resistant. Soft, smooth hides are the result of using chrome salts to pickle the untreated skins.
Single-bath vs. two-bath chrome tanning
The single-bath chrome tanning method was replaced by the two-bath method for a period. However, this method has gone out of fashion as the chromium (IV) compounds used in this process earned a bad reputation because of their toxicity.
Sources (16th May 2023):
- http://ecoursesonline(dot)iasri(dot)res(dot)in/mod/page/view.php?id=63832#:~:text=In%20single%20bath%20process%2C%20basic,fibres%20by%20interaction%20of%20chemicals.
- https://www(dot)companyweare(dot)com/2022/05/04/chrome-tanning/
- https://leatheradvice(dot)com/chrome-tanned-leather/
- https://www(dot)lederpedia(dot)de/lederarten/unterleder
- https://en(dot)wikipedia(dot)org/wiki/Tanbark
- https://link(dot)springer(dot)com/article/10.1007/s10098-005-0277-z
