Ariful Hye Quadery
Director
Leather Research Institute BCSIR
Leather Research Institute (LRI) commenced its functioning as a full-fledged mono-disciplined research institute with modern facilities from 2000. Prior to its establishment, the Institute began its journey as a division of Dhaka Laboratories of BCSIR in 1955 with limited facilities. Considering the foreign exchange earning potentials and employment opportunities from the leather sector, the project work of the Institute was started in 1994 and finished in 2000 under the Government’s Annual Development Program to strengthen its R&D capacity in the field of Leather Science & Technology. Bangladesh earns a sizeable amount of foreign exchange every year through export of leather and products to international markets. Endowed with a strong stream of local supply of quality raw hides and skins, skilled, and low-wage work force, qualified technical personnel, scope of carrying out R&D activities and testing facilities, Bangladesh has all the potentials to increase export earnings and employment in the leather sector. Leather Research Institute (LRI) being the only R&D organization of its kind, is playing its due role along with other stakeholders of this sector to exploit all the potentials. The Institute has six research divisions and twelve sections comprising of modern equipment to carry out research and development program for finding innovation in leather processing technology, developing cost effective chemicals and novel environmental technologies, creative designing of leather products, utilization of slaughter house by-products and tannery wastes.
Since its inception a good number of processes have been developed and is ready for leased out to the entrepreneurs. The Institute also renders technical services to the industrialist to solve their specific industrial problems. BCSIR has taken initiatives to set up compliance laboratories for leather and footwear sector.
Some of Our Important Developed Process
w Recovery of usable basic chromium sulphate from spent chrome liquor
w A process for the manufacture of pickling agent and its application in leather processing
w A process for the manufacture of anti-wrinkle agent and its application in leather processing
w Preparation of Protein solution from chrome shaving dust and spent chrome liquor
w A process for the preparation of protein filler as a retanning agent for leather processing
w Production of synthetic tanning agent from naphthalene and its application in leather processing
w A process for the manufacture of non-ionic surface active agent for leather processing
w Production of aluminium sulphate from the ash of aluminium utensil industry
w Isolation of chromic acid from the ash of chrome shaving dust
w Preparation of tanning agent based on glutaraldehyde and its application in leather processing
w Design and development of heat reactivation device for footwear industries
Ongoing Research and Development Projects
1. Develop a process for dyeing Leather using natural dye.
2. Design and Development of Diabetic Footwear for Diabetic Patients
3. Development of a nitrogen free deliming agent for leather processing
4. Design and Development of Leather for making “Cricket Ball”.
5. Design and Development of Safety Footwear for Firefighter.
OUR CLIENTS SECTOR
w Chemical Company
w Leather Industry
w Footwear Industries
w Leather Products Industries
Recent Achievements, Challenges and Our Future Plan:
w Mentionable achievements of Last three years- Chromium free eco-friendly leather tanning agent (glutaraldehyde) has been invented for lease out to entrepreneurs. We designed heat reactivation device, Diabetic footwear for SME levels footwear and leather goods industries.
w Probable salient achievements of FY-2015-2016:
Leather Research Institute has developed a process of protein extraction from the shaving dust and wastage of leather industries. Hopefully it will be a remarkable solution for solid waste management and reducing environmental pollution in the new leather village at Savar.
w Our Future Plan: BCSIR has initiated a project under annual development program to set up compliance laboratories for enhancing research capacity of this institute and also to provide analytical services to the stake holders.
Our Services
Chemical Test
w Analysis of water
w Analysis of lime
w Analysis of sodium sulphide
w Analysis of deliming agent
w Analysis of vegetable & synthetic tanning materials
w Analysis of dyes
w Analysis of fatliquors
w Determination of chromic oxide (Cr2O3) of chrome powder.
w Determination of basicity of chrome (BCS) powder
w Determination of hide substance in leather.
w Determination of BOD
w Determination of COD
w Determination of total solid (TS)
w Determination of dissolved solid (DS)
w Determination of suspended solid (SS)
w Determination of chloride/sulphate/nitrate/ammonia from effluent.
Physical Test
w Abrasion resistance of sole leather
w Water penetration
w Apparent density of sole leather
w Water vapour permeability
w Adhesion of finish
w Wrinkle assessment of leather.
w Break/pipeness of leather
w Longitudinal stiffness of insole
w Colour fastness of leather backpart
w Heel impact resistant
w Creep strength of adhesives
w Heel fatigue resistance
w Flexing resistance- Bally
w Rub fastness – circular
w Flexing strength of whole shoe
w State of cure test for soling materials
w Grain strength test of leather
w Shrinkage temperature of leather
w Tensile strength / Extension
