Obtención de un engrasante utilizando como materia prima la grasa proveniente del residuo de descarnado de una curtiembre de Ambato para reciclaje en la industria del cuero

Abstract

Tanneries generate large amounts of waste during leather production, both in the form of solid and liquid residues. These wastes pose an environmental and health problem, in addition to being an economic loss for the companies that must dispose of them. The solid wastes, which are usually sent to landfills, contain significant amounts of meat, skin, and fat, especially fat obtained from fleshing. These components make the waste an ideal raw material for the production of greases. The present study aims to recover fat from fleshing to produce two types of greases, sulfitated and sulfated, with the purpose of using them in different processes required by the tannery, thus promoting circular economy and adding value to tannery wastes. To produce the greases, 98 percent sulfuric acid was used in concentrations of 10, 20, and 30 percent per kilogram of fat, and 40 percent sodium bisulfite in concentrations of 1.00, 2.00, and 3.00 moles per kilogram of fat. The reaction between unsaturated fatty acids and the reagents was carried out using a vertical agitator at 120 rpm. Additionally, the iodine value analysis was performed to assess the degradation caused by the reagents on unsaturated fatty acids. The results showed that higher reagent concentrations led to greater reaction efficiency. In conclusion, the fat from fleshing waste can be used as a raw material for grease production.