PRODUCTION OF CHROME LEATHER HAVING FINE GRAIN TEXTURE, EXCELLENT STIFFNESS AND FLEXIBILITY

PURPOSE:To produce a chrome leather which has fine grain texture, excellent stiffness and flexibility by penetrating an alkali chromate (VI) salt soln. into a bare leather, taking out and dipping the leather in a reducing soln. having a predetermined pH value. CONSTITUTION:A steer, kip, alf or bare leather from other beasts than bovine is immersed in an alkali chromate (VI) salt. soln. having a pH value of 8.6 or higher [e.g., ammonia-alkaline soln. of ammonium chromate (VI)] or further, according to necessity, in a soln. contg. a masking agent (e.g., phosphate salt, other inorg. salts, salts of an org. carboxylic acid, such as formic acid, etc.) so as to penetrate sufficiently the chromate (VI) salt soln. into the leather. Then, the leather is taken out and dipped in a reducing agent soln. having a pH value of 3.5-10.5 and contg. according to necessity a masking agent (e.g., soln. mainly composed of a dithionite in combination with, according to need, a sulfite salt etc.). Thus, a chrome leather which has fine grain texture, excellent nerve and flexibility is produced.