Chrome tanning is a method widely used since the 19th Century where chrome chemicals are used as the tanning agent rather than natural tannins. The chromium chemicals does not destroy the collagen and fibre structure of the leather hide, rather it form a stable bond with the collagen structure, making the leather soft and supple. Most of the leather products (about 80%) including bags, shoes, leather jackets and etc. are made up of chrome tanned leather. Chrome tanned leather is generally preferred due to the lower cost of production (shorter amount of time for leather tanning compared to vegetable tanning process). Some of the characteristics of chrome tanned leather are shown below:
- soft, thin and full of stretchability, excellent for usage in garments production
- good resistant to heat
- uniform
- does not pick up scratches easily
- does not tear easily
- normally available in wide range of color selection
- contains metal (not safe when burned)
Figure 1: Chrome Tanned Calfskin leather from Ilcea, image obtained from Rocky Mountain Leather Supply