Tara Powder

Caesalpinea spinoza, commonly known as tara, is a small and thorny tree with red pods that grows in the dry areas of Peru, South America. It belongs to the pyrogallol group.

In its natural state, the concentration of tannins is 35-55%. After the extraction process, the content may increase to 72-75%.

This vegetable tannin is used in the leather industry to obtain very bright and light-colored leathers, as it is difficult to oxidize thanks to its low content of free gallic acid.

Tara powder is also used to make dyes using ferric salts, as mordant of dyeing products, and in the fabric printing process. It is appropriate for vegetable tanned leathers that need to be light-resistant.

Valonea

The extract is prepared from the beard and cup of the acorn of Turkish and Greek oak trees.

t belongs to the pyrogallol (ellagitannin) group. The properties of the extract are: a low PH value of approximately 3.3-3.7; a high concentration of acids and a fairly high concentration of salts; a slow rate of penetration; relatively good affinity for the fibre; a low stability to enzyme action (i.e. similar to Myrabolams, causing a large amount of sludge – “bloom”, high tannin losses, a high rate of fermentation) ; a dark grayish-brown coloured leather.

Valonea is used in blends with catechols to improve the firmness and weight of heavy leather.

Quebracho Extract

Schinopsis balansae, commonly known as quebracho colorado, is a South America native tree. It can be found in the geographical region called Chaco, covering northeastern Argentina and southern Paraguay.

It has a very hard, red-colored, rot-resistant wood, suited for high-quality furniture. The tanning properties of the quebracho colorado were discovered around 1820. The heartwood contains tannins, water-soluble organic substances of vegetable origin which can transform the raw hide and skin into leather.

The remarkable tanning properties of the quebracho extracts, among other characteristics, make them the most widely used vegetable tanning product.

It has a very rapid penetration, a high tannin content (1200 to 1250 kg/m3 may be extracted, 38% of the total weight) and a relatively low content of non-tannins. The low acid content and medium salt content make the quebracho extract a mild tanning extract (low astringency). The soluble quebracho extracts can be blended in any proportion with any other vegetable extracts, with phenolic synthetic tannins, naphthalene and phenol-naphthalene synthetic tannins, and can be used in any system of vegetable tannage (pit/drum, rapid and semi-rapid), in retannages of chrome tanned leathers where good fullness, roundness and buffability are required.

Myrobalan

The extract is prepared from the dried fruit of a tree( Terminalia Chebula) which grows extensively in India and parts of Burma. It belongs to the pyrogallol (ellagitannin) group.

The properties of the extract are: a low PH value of approximately 30.-3.3; a very high concentration of acids, and a moderate concentration of salts; a slow rate of penetration; a low affinity for the fibre ( i.e. poor leathering action); a low stability to enzyme action aristing from moulds and yeasts, causing a large amount of sludge – “bloom”(constituents include ellagic acid and chebulinic acid), high tannin losses and a high rate of fermentation; a light yellowish- coloured leather (better light-fastness than catechols)

Myrabolams extract is blended with catechols, e.g. Mimosa or cold – soluble Quebracho to: increase the level of aciditiy (i.e. lower the PH value), increase the flexibility/ softness of the resultant leather, and brighten the colour of the leather (i.e. reduce the redness)