Optimization of the method for collagen hydrolyzate obtained from wet blue trimmings in a pilot plant

Abstract

Nowadays, the industrial district from Arequipa contains about 40 big, medium and small tanneries. All of them produce about 80 tons of wet blue trimmings per month. Some of them dispose them according to the local regulations. On the other hand the majority of them throws them away in unauthorized places creating an environmental problem. In this context, Curtiembre Austral developed a solution to reutilize that residue in a form of a collagen hydrolyzate. This hydrolyzate, obtained from a alkaline-enzymatic hydrolysis produces both a chromium cake and a liquid hydrolyzate which contained dissolved proteins. The research aimed to obtain the optimal method to separate both phases and obtain a hydrolyzate protein with the highest quantity of proteins possible, the lowest quantity of chromium in the minimum time achievable. Two methods were analyzed: filtration with a filter press and decantation with a subsequent filtration with a bag filter. The time needed to process 100L of hydrolyzate was measured on each of the machines mentioned before, also, the characteristics of each hydrolyzate were compared and the feasibility of operation on an industrial level. In conclusion the filter press filtration method was the most effective due to the shorter filtration time, ease of operation, higher yield, chemical properties in terms of nitrogen and higher amount of chromium.