Evaluation of Mechanical Properties of Goat Leather Tanned using Acacia xanthophloea

Acacia xanthophloea is a tree in the Fabaceae family with wide distribution mainly around Laikipia in Central Kenya and major parts of the Rift Valley town of Naivasha, Kenya. A number of trees under the Fabaceae family are renowned as sources of vegetable tannins for leather processing. Despite recent advances in research, locally available vegetable tanning materials have not been widely exploited in Kenya for commercial tanning purposes. This study aimed to evaluate the mechanical properties of goat leather tanned with crude extracts of Acacia xanthophloea from Naivasha, Kenya. Crude extracts of Acacia xanthophloea combined with pre-tanning and tanning procedures were used to produce leather. The commercial mimosa was used as a control. The leather tanned with crude extracts of Acacia xanthophloea had a thickness of 0.81 ± 0.11 mm, tearing strength of 37.87 ± 2.09 N, tensile strength of 27.50 ± 7.51 N/mm2, percentage elongation of 18.00 ± 6.67, grain crack of 6.19 ± 0.20 mm and grain burst of 7.10 ± 0.27 mm. The crude extracts of Acacia xanthophloea confer good tanning and give the leather a reddish tinge, whereas some mechanical properties attenuated, compare favourably with the control (mimosa). Acacia xanthophloea which is abundantly available in Kenya with scarce use can potentially be cultivated and refined as a commercial source of tannins.