The Principles of Leather ManufactureProcter, H. R. (Henry Richardson)
History
The Principles of Leather Manufacture
Procter, H. R. (Henry Richardson)
Leather
_Areca catechu_, Betel-Nut Palm of India. Yields a species of cutch of
no importance for tanning.
_Sabal serrulata_, Saw Palmetto of Florida (Trimble). (“Dwarf” palmetto
is _S. Adansonia_.) Palmetto root has been much talked of as a tanning
material; and makes a light-coloured leather.
An extract is now made from the roots of the Saw Palmetto, which grows
freely in the Southern States of America, and is especially abundant on
the east coast of Florida. The plant is an evergreen, the stem growing
flat along the ground, being held in place by numerous roots each the
size of a pipe-stem. The leaves are fan-shaped and ribbed, and two to
three feet in diameter. In its hardihood the palmetto resembles a weed,
as the leaves may be cut off quite close to the stem without damaging
the plant, which will grow freely on poor sandy land which is worthless
for other purposes. The average yield is stated to be about 10 cwt. to
the acre, but in good seasons and with rich land, over a ton per acre
has been obtained.
The air-dried leaves contain about 13 per cent. of tannin, but the
results obtained by different chemists vary from 5 to 20 per cent.
Possibly these variations are caused by the different amounts of
moisture in the various samples.
The leaves must be treated with a solution of caustic soda, to remove
the glossy siliceous shield which covers them and prevents their being
easily extracted. After the tanning matter has been extracted the
remaining fibre can be profitably disposed of to paper and rope
manufacturers.
As the supply of palmetto is very large it is likely that it will, to a
considerable extent, substitute the employment of gambier, and in the
United States the extract has already met with a considerable sale.
Samples of the extract examined by the Author analysed from 16-22 per
cent. of tanning matter, and several per cent. of mineral matter, and
produced a very soft and mellow leather of good colour. The extract
contains noticeable quantities of common salt, and organic salts of soda
which leave sodium carbonate on ignition.
_Cocos nucifera_, the Cocoa-nut Palm, also contains tannin in roots.
CASUARINÆ.
_Casuarina equisetifolia_ L. (_laterifolia_ Lam.); _Filao_ bark,
Reunion; _Tjamara laut_, Java; Casagha or Tinian Pine, Ceylon. Widely
distributed in Southern Asia, bark used for tanning and dyeing. Tannin
gives blue-blacks with iron. Several other species very similar in
structure and properties. (Von Höhnel.) Hooper found 11-18 per cent. of
tannin.
MYRICACEÆ.
_Myrica Gale_, Sweet Gale, or bog-myrtle.
_Myrica (Comptonia) asplenifolia_, U.S.A.; “Sweet Fern.” Covers millions
of acres in Michigan. Yields 40 per cent. of “extract.” Leaves 4-5 per
cent., roots 4-6 per cent. tannin, according to season (Trimble). Has
been much talked of, but in Prof. Trimble’s opinion is not likely to
prove of much importance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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