UCI International Inc.
Introduction to Leather Applications
Formic acid is a noxious and corrosive chemical that must be handled with extreme care by workers
in the leather tanning industry. A safe alternative to formic acid in the retan, color and fatliquor process would be highly desired
if the alternative was not only demonstrated to be an equally efficient but also a cost effective replacement.
Formic acid was
studied as traditionally this acid is used by the tanning industry in order to prepare hides through the lowering of Ph, for the uptake
of dyes (particularly acid or anionic dyes) during the dyeing step. Unfortunately, workers in the tanning industry must handle concentrated
formic acid with extreme care since it is a relatively corrosive liquid and it exudes noxious vapors. An alternative to formic acid
was sought and Ultra Biocid was considered since it has already found utility in level dyeing for the textile industry. Ultra Biocid,
unlike formic acid, is non-volatile (no vocs), non-flammable, has 10-fold less biological and chemical oxidation demand, has no heat
of dilution, and does not readily burn skin
.