Leather shaving dust utilization in brick preparation: Solid waste management in tannery

Abstract

In the tannery, after sammying and splitting, the flesh side of wet-blue leather is shaved getting a uniform thickness known as shaving. During shaving, a significant amount of chromium-containing leather shaving dust (LSD) is generated. It affects the environment and the management of chromium-containing LSD is a great challenge. In this work, LSD is used in brick production mitigating the generated solid waste in a tannery. The LSD (w/w) of 0%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, and 7% are incorporated along with clay and burned at 1000 °C in the brickfield. The outcome discloses 4% LSD amended brick showed the maximum engineering and chemical properties. The optimum 4% LSD amended brick’s weight loss, shrinkage area, water absorption, compressive strength, and efflorescence properties to be 11.38%, 5.51%, 14.26%, 10.69 N/mm2, and no efflorescence, respectively. The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images denote the micro-fibrous structure of the composite that played a significant role in producing lightweight brick. The NEN 7345 leaching test of the LSD-incorporated bricks indicated that leached metals were below the acceptable limit. Utilization of LSD will open an eye as an ingredient in brick production, to mitigate tannery solid waste load.