Valorisation of Tannery Waste and Animal By-Product for Acoustics Applications

Disposal of chromium-containing solid wastes generated from the leather industry poses a major threat to tanners worldwide. Herein, we propose a strategy to utilize chrome shaving waste for sound absorption application by blending it with natural fiber, wool. The composites were prepared at various ratios with different thickness by compression molding method and subjected to characterizations like scanning electron microscope, porosity measurements, and tensile strength analysis. The sound absorption behavior of the composites was evaluated using the two-microphone impedance tube method. The results indicate that the composites with higher thickness show better sound absorption at higher frequencies when compared to the natural wool and composites with lesser thicknesses. Thus, this material can be used as a sound-absorbing material thereby paving the alternative use of leather waste utilization.