INFLUENCE OF PROCESSING TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE ON THE STABILITY OF THE STRUCTURE OF HOT-PRESSED GROUND LEATHER - PLEATHER

The increased degree of transformation of leather to a material with t hermoplastic properties is shown to increase this material's solubilit y in both dimethylsulfoxide and in a buffer similar to those used to d issolve high molecular weight proteins. This increase in solubility is controlled by the variable values of the processing parameters, tempe rature, and pressure, and is interpreted to suggest that this transfor mation of leather must be accompanied by the destruction of its collag en superstructure into-fragments with a much smaller molecular weight. This model is further supported by molecular weight distributions as determined by size exclusion chromatography and by electrophoresis. Th e results of the investigation at the molecular level are corroborated by scanning electron microscopy of pleather samples.