Ultrasound assisted cleaner alternate emulsification method for oils and fats: tallow emulsion – fatliquor preparation for leather application

There is a need for effective cleaner alternative emulsification methods for fats like tallow in aqueous dispersion using aqueous solvents like water. In the present study, ultrasound has been used as a tool for preparation of fatliquor emulsion using tallow fat, eliminating the conventional sulfation process with judicial use of emulsifying agents. The applicability has been examined by utilizing the emulsified fat in leather fatliquoring process. The effect of process parameters such as ultrasonic output power, amount of fat and amount of emulsifiers (anionic and non-ionic) has been studied and compared to control process (magnetic stirring at ∼60 °C). Thermal analysis of tallow as inferred from Differential scanning calorimetry and Thermo gravimetric analysis indicates high thermal stability up to 372 °C. Fat content in leather has been analyzed and the results show emulsions prepared using anionic emulsifier yielded better fat uptake in leather. Under optimized conditions ultrasound process yielded 81% and 87% fat emulsion as compared to 70% and 67% for control process using anionic and non-ionic surfactants respectively. Strength property analysis of leather fatliquored with tallow emulsion prepared with ultrasound is either better or comparable to that of control process. The emulsion stability of ultrasonically prepared fat emulsion has been found to be good. The results indicate that ultrasound could be effectively utilized even dispensing with external heating in the preparation of emulsion using tallow fat for leather fatliquor application or any other generic oils/fats treatment processes with potential scale-up options. [Display omitted] ► Ultrasound assisted aqueous emulsification process for Tallow natural fat. ► Complete elimination of conventional sulfation process. ► Pollution reduction through complete elimination of sulfuric acid. ► Cleaner emulsification method and Energy sustainable process. ► Process intensification for better yield and application to leather fatliquoring.