Comparación de curtientes vegetales en la obtención de cuero para calzado en pieles caprinas

Abstract

This study aimed to compare vegetable tanning agents in the processing of goat leather for footwear. The study was conducted in the Leather Tanning and Agro-Industrial Fibers Laboratory at FCP-ESPOCH. The statistical evaluation included physical and sensory variables of goat leather by following a Completely Randomized Design with five replications. The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) for physical properties and the Tukey and Kruskall-Wallis tests (P < 0.05) for sensory variables were essential to evaluate the results. Physical tests, including the percentage of elongation, tensile strength, and dry rub resistance, were performed following equipment manuals in the tannery workshop, and the results were compared to the quality requirements of AQUEIC. Sensory quality was determined by a trained judge performing sensory tests using human sensory organs. The results showed that Tara's use significantly improved tensile strength (9434.67 N/cm2). Concerning the elongation percentage and dry rub abrasion resistance, the mimosa tanning agent showed the best response, with 68% and 174 cycles, respectively, meeting the specified standards. In sensory tests, mimosa showed superior fullness and roundness compared to Tara (16%), with a higher softness score. Leather tanned with mimosa achieved the highest profit, as the cost-benefit ratio was $1.48, representing a 48% profit margin, in contrast to Tara, which was less, showing a $1.44 and a 44% profit margin.