A new production plant for recycling shavings in leather production is debuting this year’s Hannover Messe (April 24 – 28). The innovative “ReeL” system for resource-efficient production of leather chemicals will be presented at the Modular Production specialty show, an initiative by Namur, Dechema/ProcessNet and the ZVEI (German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association). Visitors will be able to see the system – a good example of technical implementation of ideas in the context of modular automation – at Booth D44 in Hall 11 at the trade fair.

The Leather business unit at LANXESS developed this pilot facility in cooperation with the Leverkusen-based research institute INVITE, with the aim of producing retanning agents from collagen-rich byproducts that accumulate during leather-making and from organic biomass. The plant features a modular design and is intended for use directly on site and in place (in situ) at tanneries. The project partner HELLER-LEDER GmbH Co. KG in Hehlen, Lower Saxony, is set to begin the practical tests beginning in mid-2017.

The project is receiving funding from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of its “r+Impuls – Innovative Technologien für Ressourceneffizienz – Impulse für industrielle Ressourceneffizienz” (r+Impulse – innovative technologies for resource efficiency – impetus for industrial resource efficiency). This program supports projects that are bringing innovative technologies and products out of the laboratory and into commercial use.

Complete recycling without emissions

A medium-sized tannery produces several metric tons of shavings a day. Using a production facility leased from LANXESS, the company was able to produce enough X-Biomer retanning agent to meet its needs – directly on site. The byproducts used are recycled without leaving any residues; i.e. no waste or emissions are generated during production.

“The goal of the project is to be able to offer X-Biomer to the tanner at a cost comparable to that of procuring commercially available X-Biomer retanning agents,” said Dr. Dietrich Tegtmeyer, who is managing the project at LANXESS. “The lack of logistics outlay should offset the higher production costs for the design. Piloting is being carried out to verify this concept model. In addition, the project will most certainly be beneficial in terms of sustainability.”