Preparation of value added composite sheet from solid waste leather - A prototype design

Abstract

Leather sector in Ethiopia is blessed with huge livestock resource which serves as source of raw material (hides and skin), cheap and highly disciplined workforce, cheap cost of doing business, significant international comparative advantages, investment incentives, and custom duty exemption. This industry remains a supplier of low value added, semi- processed hides and skin to the international market. leather sheet of wonderful strength (9.84±0.16 MPa) and very reasonable elongation at break (31.40%) having amenable use was prepared and the production of this value added products from waste material is a reasonable task of the time that scholars should do as it can serve as means of income besides its advantage to reduce environmental pollution specially in countries like Ethiopia which, have untapped solid waste leather resource. Key words: Solid waste, leather fiber, latex, Ethiopia.