Indian Journal of Chemical Technology Vol. 11, September 2004, pp. 654-658 Some physical and chemical properties of ostrich skins and leathers Behzat Oral Bitlisli*, Bahri Başaran, Özcan Sari, Ahmet Aslan & Gökhan Zengin Ege University, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Leather Engineering, 35100, Bornova, Izmir-Turkey Received 21 August 2003; revised received 21 May 2004; accepted 25 June 2004 Some technological parameters of ostrich skins and leathers, which are considered to be important in the leather industry, were analysed. It was observed that these parameters vary according to whether skin comes from the neck, leg and back sides. However, on the basis of area and strength values, leg and back sides are more appropriate for upper leather production and neck sides may be used as accessories. IPC Code: G01 N 33/44 Keywords: Ostrich skin, tanning, upper leather Ostrich leathers are exotic leathers types, which are in increasing demand due to their outstanding natural grain patterns, formed by large feather follicles on the leather surface 1,2 . Approximately 700,000 ostrich skins are introduced to the world market every year, of which 300,000 are obtained from South Africa 3,4 . It is evident that ostrich skins have a small share of market compared to nearly 330 million hides and 850 million skins which constitute the raw material for the leather industry in the world 5 . Since ostrich meat, skin, feathers, eggs and body fat are highly demanded raw materials in the food, clothing and cosmetics industries, ostrich breeding has been set up in many countries, including a considerable number of farms in Turkey. However, farm owners are legitimately anxious about putting the skins, which are by-products of ostrich farming, into use. The main factors are that ostrich skins differ from other skins and hides in shape and grain pattern, which are considered in marketing the product, requiring special applications in removal, conservation and processing technologies. It is possible to obtain limited information about skin removal, classification of leathers according to the distribution of feather follicles in different parts of the body 6,7 and some physical characteristics of leathers 8 , but it is impossible to find detailed information on physical and chemical properties of skins and leathers. This work aims to detect some characteristics of ostrich skins which are valuable for the leather industry, to form production recipes and explore possibilities for their utilization in upper leather production by determining some physical and chemical properties. Experimental Procedure Materials and Methods Materials consisted of 11 defect-free skins from 12 to 14-month-old male ostriches (Strutio camelus) selected from the wet-salted skins brought for processing, to Ege University Leather Engineering Department’s Research and Application Plant from breeding farms located in the Aegean region of Turkey. Six skins were used to detect physical and chemical parameters and five to detect those of leathers. Residual flesh and fat were scraped off flesh side of the skins using a knife. Then the skins were divided into pieces as neck, leg and back sections, on the basis of natural grain patterns formed in relation to the distribution of the feather follicle in such a way so that they could be used without wastage in shoe manufacturing. The point 15 cm above the knee, where follicles ended, was considered as the boundary in the separation of the leg side 7 . Similarly, the lower part of the neck, where large feather follicles in the back side end and smaller feathers occur, was accepted as the boundary in the separation of the neck and back. Weights of skins were obtained on an analytical balance. Thickness was measured using special __________ *For correspondence (E-mail: bitlisli@bornova.ege.edu.tr; Fax: +90 232 3881864)