A biofabricated material containing a network of crosslinked collagen fibrils is disclosed. This material is composed of collagen which is also a major component of natural leather and is produced by a process of fibrillation of collagen molecules into fibrils, crosslinking the fibrils and lubricating the crosslinked fibrils. Unlike natural leathers, this biofabricated material exhibits non-anisotropic (not directionally dependent) physical properties, for example, a sheet of biofabricated material can have substantially the same elasticity or tensile strength when stretched or stressed in different directions. Unlike natural leather, it has a uniform texture that facilitates uniform uptake of dyes and coatings. Aesthetically, it produces a uniform and consistent grain for ease of manufacturability. It can have substantially identical grain, texture and other aesthetic properties on both sides distinct from natural leather where the grain increases from one side (e.g., distal surface) to the other (proximal inner layers).

A process for leather production from a raw animal hide includes the steps of pre-soaking, soaking, unhairing and liming, re-liming, deliming and bating, pickling and tanning, degreasing, re-tanning, neutralizing, dyeing and fatliquoring, and washing the processed hide. Waste liquid is collected from at least one of the foregoing steps is recycled to at least one of the foregoing steps. The collected waste liquid can be recycled to the same step, to a different step, or to two of more steps in the process.

A process for leather production from a raw animal hide includes the steps of pre-soaking, soaking, unhairing and liming, re-liming, deliming and bating, pickling and tanning, degreasing, re-tanning, neutralizing, dyeing and fatliquoring, and washing the processed hide. Waste liquid is collected from at least one of the foregoing steps is recycled to at least one of the foregoing steps. The collected waste liquid can be recycled to the same step, to a different step, or to two of more steps in the process.

The present invention is directed to a process for retanning leather comprising the steps of: a) providing tanned or pre-tanned leather b) treating the tanned leather of step a) with a composition comprising hollow microspheres, preferably as an aqueous composition, the hollow microspheres have a true density of from 0.01 to 0.10 g/cm.sup.3 (25? C.) and/or a bulk density of the dry powder of 0.005 to 0.06 g/cm.sup.3 (25? C.), c) drying, whereby the temperature of the leather during drying does not exceed 75? C. as well as to leather obtained by said process.

The present invention is directed to a process for retanning leather comprising the steps of: a) providing tanned or pre-tanned leather b) treating the tanned leather of step a) with a composition comprising hollow microspheres, preferably as an aqueous composition, the hollow microspheres have a true density of from 0.01 to 0.10 g/cm.sup.3 (25? C.) and/or a bulk density of the dry powder of 0.005 to 0.06 g/cm.sup.3 (25? C.), c) drying, whereby the temperature of the leather during drying does not exceed 75? C. as well as to leather obtained by said process.

The present invention relates to a novel composition for waterproofing leather, hides and/or pelts comprising a carboxyl-functional polysiloxane or an epoxide-functional polysiloxane and a polymer dispersion that contains 2 to 35 weight % of carboxylic groups, preferably a polyacrylate dispersion, to obtain leather that has a good water resistance according to ISO DIN EN ISO 5403-2 and DIN EN ISO 5403-1.

The present invention relates to a novel composition for waterproofing leather, hides and/or pelts comprising a carboxyl-functional polysiloxane or an epoxide-functional polysiloxane and a polymer dispersion that contains 2 to 35 weight % of carboxylic groups, preferably a polyacrylate dispersion, to obtain leather that has a good water resistance according to ISO DIN EN ISO 5403-2 and DIN EN ISO 5403-1.

A recycling process for achieving near-zero emissions of tannery effluent is characterized in that effluent recycling is carried out independently in soaking, liming, re-liming, de-liming bating, pickling chrome tanning, re-tanning, neutralizing, and dyeing procedures. The effluents in the above procedures can be recycled in each step. This process greatly reduces effluent discharge and helps solve the problem of tanning pollution. The process also improves the quality of the finished leather, effectively decreases loose grain rate and increases compactness and fullness of the finished product. The project can reduce chemical material consumption by 15%-55%. For example, the consumption of chromium powder can be reduced up to 65%. Consumption of other chemical materials can be reduced by more than 90%, while certain chemical materials can be essentially completely conserved.

A recycling process for achieving near-zero emissions of tannery effluent is characterized in that effluent recycling is carried out independently in soaking, liming, re-liming, de-liming bating, pickling chrome tanning, re-tanning, neutralizing, and dyeing procedures. The effluents in the above procedures can be recycled in each step. This process greatly reduces effluent discharge and helps solve the problem of tanning pollution. The process also improves the quality of the finished leather, effectively decreases loose grain rate and increases compactness and fullness of the finished product. The project can reduce chemical material consumption by 15%-55%. For example, the consumption of chromium powder can be reduced up to 65%. Consumption of other chemical materials can be reduced by more than 90%, while certain chemical materials can be essentially completely conserved.

The present invention provides a method of manufacturing leather, which not only significantly suppresses the occurrence of adhesive wrinkling and boarding/alighting wrinkling when used for an automobile seat, for example, but also exhibits appropriate flexibility. The present invention is a method of manufacturing leather including a pretreatment step, a tanning step, a retanning step, and a drying and finishing step in this order, the retanning process including, in the following order, subjecting a shaving leather obtained from the tanning process to a stage of performing treatment using a predetermined retanning agent and a predetermined resin, a stage of performing treatment using a predetermined retanning agent, a predetermined resin, and a predetermined fatliquoring agent, and a stage of performing treatment using a predetermined resin and a predetermined fatliquoring agent, and the drying in the drying and finishing process including, in the following order, subjecting a leather obtained from the retanning process to a stage of drying under reduced pressure under predetermined conditions and a step of drying at atmospheric pressure under predetermined conditions.