Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.65776/ep.20.3.3
Antimicrobial properties of pickled leather treated with zeolite
Franka Žuvela Bošnjak
orcid.org/0009-0001-6357-7857
; University of Zagreb Faculty of Textile Technology, Prilaza baruna Filipovića 28a, 10000 Zagreb
Sandra Flinčec Grgac
orcid.org/0000-0003-4878-1224
; University of Zagreb Faculty of Textile Technology, Prilaza baruna Filipovića 28a, 10000 Zagreb
Ivančica Kovaček
orcid.org/0000-0002-9462-5073
; The Teaching Institute for Public Health “Dr. Andrija Štampar”, Mirogojska 16, 10000 Zagreb
Abstract
The quality of leather and its various properties depend on the preparatory work, as well as the tanning and finishing processes. Preparatory operations include soaking, liming, deliming, bating, and acidification (pickling), through which the leather acquires the characteristics necessary for tanning. After the preparatory stages, further treatment is carried out to prevent the growth of microorganisms on the leather surface. The development of microorganisms requires extra washing, which slows the regular leather-processing workflow and increases production costs. In this study, leather samples that had undergone standard factory preparatory procedures - including pickling - were additionally treated with zeolites. This paper describes the preparatory procedures and the process of treating pickled leather with zeolites, with the aiming to achieve improved antimicrobial protection as a more environmentally friendly solution for storing leather prepared in this way. The objective is to determine whether zeolite treatment provides an antimicrobial effect on pickled leather. The antimicrobial activity of the zeolite-treated leather against Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli was tested in accordance with EN ISO 20645:2018. The results obtained from the zeolite-treated leather were compared with those of leather processed through the standard pickling procedure. The antimicrobial effectiveness of the zeolite-treated leather was confirmed.
Keywords
leather, zeolite, antimicrobial properties, pickling
Hrčak ID:
348001
URI
Publication date:
18.6.2026.
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