A New Tanning Process.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2943, 6 July 1888, Page 3

A New Tanning Process.

Somo oxporiments wore recently made at Messrs Micliaelis, Hallenstein and Co.'s tannery, Footscray, Melbourne, with Ncsbitt's patent process for the extraction of lime from hides, skins, etc., Preparatory to tanning, hides aro soaked in a mixture of quicklime and water for the purpose of loosening the bulbous roots of the hair that is on them. When this is dono it 13 then of the utmost importance to extract the lime so used before tanning can proceed, Hitherto (says the Argus) the course adopted has been to immerse the hides in a weak kind of tan liquor from which they are taken and placed in stronger liquor. This process is carried on for months, and in some cases 0110 or two years, and oveu then the lime isnot extracted. ThoNesbitfc process is claimed to accomplish the whole work effectually in one hour, Besides lime, there is also an oily gelatinous nwttor to be extracted. The only way to ofl'ect this has been by the use of" bote"—that is, to place the hides for some weeks in a loathsome compouud. By the Nesbitt process this disgusting oxpedient is abolished, for the process extracts at one time everything from the hides that is an obstruction to tanning, The Nesbitt process consists, as Mr Imray showed, of placing the hides after com, ing from the lime pits into a vessel containing carbolic acid gas and water and there leaving them for an hour. When the hides (four in numberjwore brought out there was nothing in their outward appearance to show how they has been affected, The effect produced can only be foundoutwhon thoprocess of tanning isentered upon in duecourse. Some samples of leather shown which add undergone the process in London and Adelaide wero of very superior character. The Nesbitt process is particularly applicable to dressed goods. The general advantages of the process are that every particle of lime is extracted, a saving is made of twothirds in the cost of tanning, and in every respect afar better article is produced than by the process generally in use. Colonel Stowart, 8.A., has reported very favorably on artillery harness made by the Nesbitt process. [lt iB of interest to note that lilr Nesbitt was a South Australian schoolmaster, who, by a little attention to chemistry, scoins in a fair way to become wealthy.]