INTRODUCTION

Established in 1962, Tata International is an international marketing company with a global turnover of US$ 850 million in 2006-07. It is a trading company with business lines that include leather, engineering and pharmaceutical products. It has a worldwide reach provided by a wellintegrated network, that encompasses its subsidiaries, offices, joint ventures and alliances, with business hubs in South Asia, South East Asia, Europe and Africa catering to its markets in Europe, SAARC, ASEAN, the Far East, and Africa. Tata International is India's leading leather and leather products exporter. As a leather and leather products exporter, the company operates its leather business in India from Dewas, Chennai, Delhi, Calcutta, as well as, from China, South Asia and the Middle East, leveraging our global network. We source wet blue worldwide and have world-renowned clients for our finished leather and leather products. Our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at Dewas in Central India is among the top three worldwide for goat skin. Our units have ISO 9001 certification from RW TUV CERT of Germany since 1994, making ours the first leather-manufacturing facility in India to receive this certification. The leather unit in Dewas is the first in the industry in Asia to be ISO 14000 certified. Our facilities are governed by International Labour Organization laws. Our R&D department has made internationally acknowledged break-through in the production of chrome free leather and processing of solid waste. We have established and co-ordinate a highly flexible supply chain for sourcing leather, footwear, garments and leather goods. As a leather and leather products exporter our main markets are the quality stringent markets of Western Europe, North America and the Far East. As leading leather garments exporter from India flexibility is our strength. With 25 years of experience in this fashion industry, we as leather garments exporter are aware that one must respond quickly to a change in needs. We cater for this through our capacity to produce 1000 garments per day, with the aid of our well-trained in-house designers, world class manufacturing processes and special sample lines to meet customer's requirements. We became a leather garments exporter in 1975. The Dewas based (in Madhya Pradesh, India) Leather Garments division of Tata International, adopted best in class manufacturing processes and systems in collaboration with one of the premier leather manufacturers of Germany - Lederman. Today Tata International has one of the most modern and well-equipped manufacturing facilities on the South Asian subcontinent. Apart from being the first leather garments unit in India to boast ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification (certificates awarded by RW TUV of Germany), we as a leather garments exporter also enjoy the patronage of an established international clientele that includes names like Betty Barclay, Escudo, Karlstad, Kaufof, C&A, Marks & Spencers, Talenti, Gerry Weber, Mango (Spain), Stallman and Mauritius.

Tata companies operate in seven business sectors: communications and information technology, engineering, materials, services, energy, consumer products and chemicals. They are, by and large, based in India and have significant international operations. The total revenue of Tata companies, taken together, was $70.8 billion (around Rs325,334 crore) in 2008-09, with 64.7 per cent of this coming from business outside India, and they employ around 357,000 people worldwide. The Tata name has been respected in India for 140 years for its adherence to strong values and business ethics. Every Tata company or enterprise operates independently. Each of these companies has its own board of directors and shareholders, to whom it is answerable. There are 27 publicly listed Tata enterprises and they have a combined market capitalisation of some $60 billion, and a shareholder base of 3.5 million. The major Tata companies are Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Tata Power, Tata Chemicals, Tata Tea, Indian Hotels and Tata Communications. Tata Steel became the sixth largest steel maker in the world after it acquired Corus. Tata Motors is among the top five commercial vehicle manufacturers in the world and has recently acquired Jaguar and Land Rover. TCS is a leading global software company, with delivery centres in the US, UK, Hungary, Brazil, Uruguay and China, besides India. Tata Tea is the second largest branded tea company in the world, through its UK-based subsidiary Tetley. Tata Chemicals is the worlds second largest manufacturer of soda ash and Tata Communications is one of the worlds largest wholesale voice carriers. In tandem with the increasing international footprint of Tata companies, the Tata brand is also gaining international recognition. Brand Finance, a UK-based consultancy firm, recently valued the Tata brand at $9.92 billion and ranked it 51st among the world's Top 100 brands. Businessweek magazine ranked Tata 13th among the '25 Most Innovative Companies' list and the Reputation Institute, USA, recently rated it 11th on its list of world's most reputable companies. Founded by Jamsetji Tata in 1868, Tatas early years were inspired by the spirit of nationalism. It pioneered several industries of national importance in India: steel, power, hospitality and airlines. In more recent times, its pioneering spirit has been showcased by companies such as TCS, Indias first software company, and Tata Motors, which made Indias first indigenously developed car, the Indica, in 1998 and recently unveiled the worlds lowest-cost car, the Tata Nano. Tata companies have always believed in returning wealth to the society they serve. Two-thirds of the equity of Tata Sons, the Tata promoter company, is held by philanthropic trusts that have created national institutions for science and technology, medical research, social studies and the performing arts. The trusts also provide aid and assistance to non-government organisations working in the areas of education, healthcare and livelihoods. Tata companies also extend social welfare activities to communities around their industrial units. The combined development-related expenditure of the trusts and the companies amounts to around 4 per cent of the net profits of all the Tata companies taken together.

Going forward, Tata is focusing on new technologies and innovation to drive its business in India and internationally. The Nano car is one example, as is the Eka supercomputer (developed by another Tata company), which in 2008 was ranked the worlds fourth fastest. Anchored in India and wedded to traditional values and strong ethics, Tata companies are building multinational businesses that will achieve growth through excellence and innovation, while balancing the interests of shareholders, employees and civil society.

Finished Leather:
Tata International's Finished Leather range includes Full Aniline and Semi Aniline finishes in Kid, Goat, Sheep, Cow and Buffalo. We also offers Patent leathers from Cow, Goat and Sheep, plus Suede and Nubuck from Kid and Cow. Our experience of over 25 years in Finished Leather has made us the largest supplier of Kid and Goat skin Finished Leather from India. We are capable of exporting finished leather items as per your need, in any quantity and are capable to meet your import requirements round the year.

Products offered and capacity:

Leather Articles: Tata International produces high quality leather products and is one of the largest exporters of the same. The product range comprises of a wide array of leather goods ranging from personal articles to business and travel accessories. The medium-end is serviced by our dedicated units in Calcutta and Dewas. The Calcutta operations cater to the German, UK and US market in the middle value segment. Here we have dedicated units capable of producing in excess of 50,000 pcs of small leather goods per month. Tata International products are created taking into consideration style, aesthetics, craftsmanship and functionality. Our talented crafts-persons hand craft the creations from some of the finest Indian and Imported leathers with the most stringent in-process checks and refinements to ensure the right quality. Tata International brings to leather goods manufacturing 25 years of experience in leather tanning and sourcing, its highly skilled workforce and an understanding of customer quality requirements developed over the years by working with our highly discerning customers. We are proud to be associated with world renowned brands. Footwear: Tata International is India's leading footwear manufacturer and exporter. Versatile and flexible manufacturing facilities in Dewas, Chennai and New Delhi in India, reinforced with state of the art production units have helped Tata International emerge as a leading footwear manufacturer and exporter. As a footwear manufacturer and exporter we have a high-end full shoe facility, Graziella Shoes Limited located at Chennai, established in a 50-50 Joint Venture with Pucci SRL of Italy. This footwear manufacturing facility produces 3,000 pairs per day of Full Shoes with Italian Unit Soles and Indian Uppers. The high-quality shoes are sold to well establish brands.

As a footwear manufacturer and exporter we also have a Hong-Kong operation where we outsource the manufacture of shoes to China and then export these to third countries. The leather for these shoes is either supplied from India or purchased from Pakistan or Indonesia. The China sourcing is only for bulk business of 10,000 - 15,000 pairs per style. Qualified and experienced designers, trained at reputed international design schools, proficient in CAD software and digital photography, man the in-house design centres at the facilities of this footwear manufacturing facility in Dewas and Chennai (in India). The design process includes last identification, pattern development, testing, prototype development and grading. The designers cater to the customer's design requirements, which include new developments of lasts, styles and features based on current forecasts and fashion trends. Designers and product development engineers from our customers also visit and work with our designers It is this committed care as a footwear manufacturer that has earned us a clientele that includes well-established European shoe brands and catalogue houses.

Capacity:
The plant and machinery is being continuously upgraded to keep pace with the rapid development in trade and our product development and R&D,which is manned by highly qualified professionals enable the leather finishing unit come out with niche product and keep itself abreast with new developments. 1,50,000 sq. ft of finished leather per day. 400 colours are processed in a month and our speciality is that we can match any pantone shade. There is high flexibility in production lot size and computerised colour matching. Tata International actively participates in MODEUROP and in every season colours developed here have been selected. Capacity: The leather garments units of Tata International located at Dewas in Central India and Chennai in southern India have a capacity for 25,000 pieces per month of high quality leather garments. Workforce: The leather garments unit employs an extremely skilled workforce of 700 people at various locations in the country. There are well-trained in-house designers and an in house quality control, which looks after the quality systems and production systems at every single stage of production. Technical Hardware: The garments units are equipped with over 300 state-of-the-art stitching machines (Pfaff, Durkopp and Adler) and other special purpose machines.

Fair and Exhibitions: Tata International Limited is a regular participant in the leading leather
fairs in the world.

Leather Show Hongkong PLW, Pirmasesns, Germany Lineapelle, Bologna, Italy GDS Fair, Dussoldorf, Germany British Footwear Fair, Birmingham, UK The Shoe Show, Las Vegas, USA

At these fairs, we display the company's range of finished leathers based on MODEUROP shades and our range of leather footwear, garments and articles. Our interaction with our customers at these fairs helps us forecast fashion trends and offer SpringSummer and Autumn-Winter colours to our customers.

Forms of leather:

Vegetable-tanned leather is tanned using tannin and other ingredients found in vegetable matter, tree bark, and other such sources. It is supple and brown in color, with the exact shade depending on the mix of chemicals and the color of the skin. It is the only form of leather suitable for use in leather carving or stamping. Vegetable-tanned leather is not stable in water; it tends to discolor, and if left to soak and then dry it will shrink and become less supple and harder. In hot water, it will shrink drastically and partly gelatinize, becoming rigid and eventually brittle. Boiled leather is an example of this where the leather has been hardened by being immersed in hot water, or in boiled wax or similar substances. Historically, it was occasionally used as armor after hardening, and it has also been used for book binding. Chrome-tanned leather, invented in 1858, is tanned using chromium sulfate and other salts of chromium. It is more supple and pliable than vegetable-tanned leather, and does not discolor or lose shape as drastically in water as vegetable-tanned. It is also known as wetblue for its color derived from the chromium. More esoteric colors are possible using chrome tanning. Aldehyde-tanned leather is tanned using glutaraldehyde or oxazolidine compounds. This is the leather that most tanners refer to as wet-white leather due to its pale cream or white color. It is the main type of "chrome-free" leather, often seen in shoes for infants, and automobiles. Formaldehyde tanning (being phased out due to its danger to workers and the sensitivity of many people to formaldehyde) is another method of aldehyde tanning. Braintanned leathers fall into this category and are exceptionally water absorbent. Brain tanned leathers are made by a labor-intensive process which uses emulsified oils, often those of animal brains. They are known for their exceptional softness and their ability to be washed. Chamois leather also falls into the category of aldehyde tanning and like brain tanning produces a highly water absorbent leather. Chamois leather is made by using oils

(traditionally cod oil) that oxidize easily to produce the aldehydes that tan the leather to make the fabric the color it is. Synthetic-tanned leather is tanned using aromatic polymers such as the Novolac or Neradol types. This leather is white in color and was invented when vegetable tannins were in short supply during the Second World War. Melamine and other amino-functional resins fall into this category as well and they provide the filling that modern leathers often require. Urea-formaldehyde resins were also used in this tanning method until dissatisfaction about the formation of free formaldehyde was realized. Alum-tanned leather is tanned using aluminium salts mixed with a variety of binders and protein sources, such as flour and egg yolk. Purists argue that alum-tanned leather is technically "tawed" and not tanned, as the resulting material will rot in water. Very light shades of leather are possible using this process, but the resulting material is not as supple as vegetable-tanned leather. Rawhide is made by scraping the skin thin, soaking it in lime, and then stretching it while it dries. Like alum-tanning, rawhide is not technically "leather", but is usually lumped in with the other forms. Rawhide is stiffer and more brittle than other forms of leather, and is primarily found in uses such as drum heads where it does not need to flex significantly; it is also cut up into cords for use in lacing or stitching, or for making many varieties of dog chews.

Leather types:

Full-grain leather refers to the upper section of a hide that previously contained the epidermis and hair, but were removed from the hide/skin. Full-grain refers to hides that have not been sanded, buffed, or snuffed (as opposed to top-grain or corrected leather) in order to remove imperfections (or natural marks) on the surface of the hide. The grain remains in its natural state allowing the best fiber strength and durability. The natural grain also has natural breathability, resulting in less moisture from prolonged contact. Rather than wearing out, it will develop a natural patina over time, with some cracking and splitting. The finest leather furniture and footwear are made from full-grain leather. For these reasons, only the best raw hide is used to create full-grain leather. One way to test if leather is full-grain is to lightly scratch its surface with your nail. If it leaves a lightercolored streak, it's full-grain. Full-grain leathers are typically available in two finish types: aniline and semi-aniline. Top-grain leather is a misnomer: it gives the false impression that it is "top" quality. In fact, full-grain is the highest quality. Top-grain leather is the second-highest quality. Its surface has been sanded and refinished. As a result, it has a colder, plastic feel, less breathability, and will not develop a natural patina. However, it does have 2 advantages over full-grain leather: it is typically less expensive, and has greater resistance to stains. Corrected-grain leather is any leather that has had an artificial grain applied to its surface. The hides used to create corrected leather are of inferior quality that do not meet the high standards for use in creating vegetable-tanned or aniline leather. The imperfections are

corrected and an artificial grain applied. Most corrected-grain leather is used to make pigmented leather as the solid pigment helps hide the corrections or imperfections. Corrected grain leathers can mainly be bought as two finish types: semi-aniline and pigmented.

Split leather is leather created from the fibrous part of the hide left once the top-grain of the rawhide has been separated from the hide. During the splitting operation, the grain and drop split are separated. The drop split can be further split (thickness allowing) into a middle split and a flesh split. In very thick hides, the middle split can be separated into multiple layers until the thickness prevents further splitting. Split leather then has an artificial layer applied to the surface of the split and is embossed with a leather grain (Bycast leather). Splits are also used to create suede. The strongest suedes are usually made from grain splits (that have the grain completely removed) or from the flesh split that has been shaved to the correct thickness. Suede is "fuzzy" on both sides. Manufacturers use a variety of techniques to make suede from full-grain. For example, in one operation, leather finish is applied to one side of the suede, which is then pressed through rollers; these flatten and even out one side of the material, giving it the smooth appearance of fullgrain. Latigo is one of the trade names for this product. Reversed suede is a grained leather that has been designed into the leather article with the grain facing away from the visible surface. It is not a true form of suede.

The International Union of Leather Technologists and Chemist Societies have a glossary of leather terms that can be found at IULTCS. Other less-common leathers include:

Buckskin or brained leather is a tanning process that uses animal brains or other fatty materials to alter the leather. The resulting supple, suede-like hide is usually smoked heavily to prevent it from rotting. Patent leather is leather that has been given a high-gloss finish. The original process was developed in Newark, New Jersey, by inventor Seth Boyden in 1818. Patent leather usually has a plastic coating. Shagreen is also known as stingray skin/leather. Applications used in furniture production date as far back as the art deco period. The word "shagreen" originates from France and is commonly confused with a shark skin and stingray skin combination. Vachetta leather is used in the trimmings of luggage and handbags, popularized by Louis Vuitton. The leather is left untreated and is therefore susceptible to water and stains. Sunlight will cause the natural leather to darken in shade, called a patina. Slink is leather made from the skin of unborn calves. It is particularly soft, and is valued for use in making gloves.

Deerskin is one of the toughest leathers, partially due to adaptations to their thorny and thicket filled habitats. Deerskin has been prized in many societies including indigenous Americans. Most modern deer skin is no longer procured from the wild, with deer farms breeding the animals specifically for the purpose of their skins. Large quantities are still tanned from wild deer hides in historic tanning towns such as Gloversville and Johnstown in upstate New York. Deerskin is used in jackets and overcoats, professional sporting equipment for martial arts such as kendo and bogu, as well as high-quality personal accessories like handbags and wallets. It commands a high price due to its relative rarity and proven durability. Nubuck is top-grain cattle hide leather that has been sanded or buffed on the grain side, or outside, to give a slight nap of short protein fibers, producing a velvet-like surface.

There are two other descriptions of leather commonly used in specialty products, such as briefcases, wallets, and luggage.

Belting leather is a full-grain leather that was originally used in driving pulley belts and other machinery. It is often found on the surface of briefcases, portfolios, and wallets, and can be identified by its thick, firm feel and smooth finish. Belting leather is the only kind of leather used in luxury products that can retain its shape without the need for a separate frame; it is generally a heavy-weight of full-grain, vegetable-tanned leather. Nappa leather, or Napa leather, is chrome-tanned and is extremely soft and supple and is commonly found in higher quality wallets, toiletry kits, and other personal leather goods.

The following are not 'true' leathers, but contain leather material. Depending on jurisdiction, they may still be labeled as "Genuine Leather."

Bonded leather , or "reconstituted Leather", is not really a true leather but a man-made material. Some types of bonded leather are composed of 90% to 100% leather fibers (often scrap from leather tanneries or leather workshops) bonded together with latex binders to create a look and feel similar to that of 'true' leather at a fraction of the cost. This bonded leather is not as durable as other leathers, and is recommended for use only if the product will be used infrequently. An example for the use of this type of bonded leather is in Bible covers. The term "bonded leather" when used to describe upholstered furniture is a different product and construction. Bonded leather upholstery is a vinyl upholstery that contains about 17% leather fiber in its backing material. Hence, there is no leather in the surface of this product. The vinyl is stamped to give it a leather-like texture.Bonded leather upholstery is durable and its manufacturing process is more environmentally-friendly than leather production. Bycast leather is a split leather with a layer of polyurethane applied to the surface and then embossed. Bycast was originally made for the shoe industry and recently was adopted by the furniture industry. The original formula created by Bayer was strong, but expensive. Most of the Bycast used today is very strong and durable product. The result is a slightly

stiffer product that is cheaper than top grain leather but has a much more consistent texture and is easier to clean and maintain.

Leather production processes:

The leather manufacturing process is divided into three fundamental sub-processes: preparatory stages, tanning and crusting. All true leathers will undergo these sub-processes. A further subprocess, surface coating can be added into the leather process sequence but not all leathers receive surface treatment. Since many types of leather exist, it is difficult to create a list of operations that all leathers must undergo. Tanning is the process which converts the protein of the raw hide or skin into a stable material which will not putrefy and is suitable for a wide variety of end applications. The principal difference between raw hides and tanned hides is that raw hides dry out to form a hard inflexible material that when re-wetted (or wetted back) putrefy, while tanned material dries out to a flexible form that does not become putrid when wetted back. There is a large number of different tanning methods and materials that can be used, the choice is ultimately dependent on the end application of the leather. The most commonly used tanning material is chromium, which leaves the leather once tanned a pale blue color (due to the chromium), this product is commonly called wet blue. The hides once they have finished pickling will typically be between pH of 2.8-3.2. At this point the hides would be loaded in a drum and immersed in a float containing the tanning liquor. The hides are allowed to soak (while the drum slowly rotates about its axle) and the tanning liquor slowly penetrates through the full substance of the hide. Regular checks will be made to see the penetration by cutting the cross-section of a hide and observing the degree of penetration. Once a good even degree of penetration exists, the pH of the float is slowly raised in a process called basification. This basification process fixes the tanning material to the leather and the more tanning material fixed the higher the hydrothermal stability and increased shrinkage temperature resistance of the leather. The pH of the leather when chrome tanned would typically finish somewhere between 3.8-4.2.

Crusting is when the hide/skin is thinned, retanned and lubricated. Often, a coloring operation is included in the crusting sub-process. The chemicals added during crusting have to be fixed in place. The culmination of the crusting sub-process is the drying and softening operations. Crusting may include the following operations:wetting back, sammying, splitting, shaving, rechroming, neutralization, retanning, dyeing, fatliquoring, filling, stuffing, stripping, whitening, fixating, setting, drying, conditioning, milling, staking, and buffing.

For some leathers a surface coating is applied. Tanners refer to this as finishing. Finishing operations may include: oiling, brushing, padding, impregnation, buffing, spraying, roller coating, curtain coating, polishing, plating, embossing, ironing, ironing/combing (for hairon), glazing and tumbling. Role of enzymes in leather production: Enzymes like proteases, lipases and amylases have an important role in the soaking, dehairing, degreasing, and bating operations of leather manufacturing. Proteases are the most commonly used enzymes in leather production. The enzyme used should not damage or dissolve collagen or keratin, but should be able to hydrolyze casein, elastin, albumin and globulin-like proteins, as well as non-structured proteins which are not essential for leather making. This process is called bating.[1] Lipases are used in the degreasing operation to hydrolyze fat particles embedded in the skin. Amylases are used to soften skin, to bring out the grain, and to impart strength and flexibility to the skin. These enzymes are rarely used. Preservation and conditioning of leather: The natural fibers of leather will break down with the passage of time. Acidic leathers are particularly vulnerable to red rot, which causes powdering of the surface and a change in consistency. Damage from red rot is aggravated by high temperatures and relative humidities, and is irreversible. Exposure to long periods of low relative humidities (below 40%) can cause leather to become desiccated, irreversibly changing the fibrous structure of the leather. Various treatments are available such as conditioners, but these are not recommended by conservators since they impregnate the structure of the leather artifact with active chemicals, are sticky, and attract stains.

Description:
The present invention relates to a process for finishing leather by spray application of optionally water-containing organic solutions in an electrostatic field. The hitherto most widely practiced process for finishing leather is spraying in an airstream or spraying airless, since these methods make it possible to obtain the best effects in respect of handle, outward appearance and rub and flex fastness properties. On the other hand, this process also has a number of serious disadvantages. There are primarily the high spray losses of the material to be applied. Moreover, it requires the use of very dilute solutions (i.e. having solids contents of only about 2-4%), which makes it virtually impossible to recover the solvent from the waste air in an economically reasonable manner.

It has therefore already been proposed (cf. DE-A-3,611,729) to spray pieces of leather with finishing solutions in an electrostatic field. This basically elegant process, however, has failed to become established in practice since, although it cuts down on spray losses, it does not reduce the absolute amount of organic solvents. If, then, it is attempted to use concentrated solutions in an electrostatic field, it is generally observed that compared with the conventional spraying in an airstream or airless there is a deterioration in spray performance and spray distribution; that is, except for the more efficient application of the material being sprayed the process described in DE-A-3,611,729 does not offer any significant advantages. It has now been found, surprisingly, that the disadvantages of the existing processes for finishing leather can be largely overcome if the finishing liquors are sprayed from the start into a water and/or solvent atmosphere which has a residual oxygen content of at most 15% by volume. This novel process solves two important existing problems: it permits the use of highly concentrated spraying liquors and it permits the treating of the solvent-containing waste air in an economically acceptable manner. The solids content of the finishing liquors can be up to 50% and the viscosity at the operating temperature can be up to 10,000 cP. Preference is given to using liquors which at the operating temperature have a viscosity of 500-5,000 cP. In general, the operating temperature is 20-40 C. (i.e. approximately room temperature). However, in the case of very viscous polymercontaining liquors the temperature can also be raised to 60-80 C. to reduce the viscosity. The residual oxygen content of the solvent atmosphere is preferably less than 10, particularly preferred less than 7, % by volume.

The atmospheric oxygen content is reduced to these values by the introduction of inert gases, such as, for example, nitrogen, argon, CO2 or in certain circumstances even water vapour. The solvent content of the solvent atmosphere should be 10-100%, preferably 15-90%, particularly preferably 25-75%, of the saturation concentration. This is because if the solvent concentration is too close to saturation point, there may occur isolated instances of condensation and undesirable droplet formation. The solvents used for producing this atmosphere are preferably the same substances as are used for preparing the spray solution. Suitable solvents are all the solvents used in the finishing of leather, such as, for example, esters, ketones, ethers, ether alcohols, alcohols, ether esters and aromatic hydrocarbons. Furthermore, the finishing liquors may contain customary leather auxiliaries, such as, for example, crosslinkers, waxes, dyestuffs, fillers, delustrants, pigments, handle control agents, viscosity regulators, drynessstandardizing agents and the like.

Basically, it is possible to use in the novel process all the polymers used in leather finishing, such as cellulose esters (nitrocellulose, cellulose acetobutyrate), polyamides, polyurethanes, polymers and copolymers of vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride and vinyl acetate, etc. It is also possible to process highly reactive 2-component systems of the type described for example in DE-A-3,309,992 by this technique. It is preferable to use here an electrostatic spray gun with an upstream mixing system as described for example in DE-A-2,746,188. By the novel process it is possible to produce finishes for high-grade leathers of the type required in the furniture and automotive upholstery sector, it being particularly worth emphasizing that the pieces of leather, on appropriate drying, are immediately stackable following finishing. The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein: FIG. 1 is a schematic of the apparatus used to carry out the process. To carry out the novel process use is advantageously made of the spray booth depicted in FIG. 1, which is equipped essentially with two measuring positions, an oxygen meter, an inert gas and compressed air supply, a spray nozzle for the solvent, venting means, a spray bell, a finishing liquor, a high-voltage generator, transportation means for the workpiece and an earthed support table. Before use the booth is rendered insert, for example with nitrogen, and sealed gas-tight. The oxygen of the air is displaced by the introduction of for example nitrogen (4) to less than 15, preferably less than 10, % by volume. Thereafter the interior of the spray booth is saturated with solvent. This solvent is sprayed into the spray booth through a spray gun (6) installed in the booth wall until 10-100% (preferably 15-90%) of the saturation concentration has been reached. To measure the oxygen, the oxygen-containing gas is removed at measuring positions (1) and (2) and the oxygen content is determined by means of an oxygen meter (3). It is not until the safety value of 15% by volume or less of O2 has been reached that the finishing process can be started by switching on the high voltage (10). The finishing is carried out for example by the principle of the electrostatic high-speed rotation spraying process. By means of this electrostatic spraying technique a high-voltage field is generated between the spray bell (9) and the earthed workpiece (leather) (11). The liquid to be spray dispensed is pumped out of the finishing liquor (8) into the bell (9) rotating at a high speed and is finely atomized there. The atomized finish particles become negatively charged at the bell rim and are then guided by means of the electrostatic field forces to the earthed workpiece, where they deposit and release their charge. The earthed support table (13) transmits its earthing to the

workpiece. It is of course also possible to apply the solutions using normal spray nozzles, i.e. an atomizing process which is carried out airless or with air. After the finishing process has ended, the leather is transported out of the spraying zone by means of the transportation means (12). The solvent-charged atmosphere can be disposed of through the venting exit (7), for example by freezing out or absorbing the solvent, which can optionally be recirculated. If necessary, the interior of the spray booth can be ventilated with compressed air (5). The detailed process conditions are described in the following examples: EXAMPLE1 a) A solution of product I (see below) was processed at 20 C. on an electrostatic spraying range of the Ransburg design. The electrostatic spraying range was installed in a booth which was filled with a gas mixture which by continuous inflow and outflow was changed a total of 15 times per hour and which consisted of a mixture of room air/oxygen in which the oxygen content was below 5% by volume. The setting of the spray bell was adjusted to a)control air 1.2 bar ring air 3.5 bar revolutions 10-35,000 rpm of the bell voltage 70 KV The solution was spray dispensed, but the only result was intensive thread formation in the air gap between bell and substrate of the type described colloquially as "spinning". Changes in respect of control air, ring air or speed of rotation had no effect. b) Example 1a was repeated, except that the spray booth was charged with a gas mixture of nitrogen/diacetone alcohol (DAA), the booth atmosphere being saturated with DAA (10-11 g of DAA/m3 of booth space). The result was a spray cone where no "spinning" was observable. On impingement of the product on the substrate--in this case a piece of cardboard to determine the amount of add-on--the solution spread out and formed a smooth film. EXAMPLE 2 a) An experiment working with a 1:1 solution of product I in toluene/isopropanol 30% strength was carried out in the machine setting and in an atmosphere as in Example 1b at 25 C. The turbine of the bell barely revolved, since the viscosity of the solution was too high (viscosity at 20 C. was 200 cP).

b) Example 2a was repeated, except that the solution was heated to 80 C. and the speed of the turbine was set to 35,000 rpm. The result is a spray in which the solution was very well dispersed in droplet form, there was no sign of "spinning", and the spray cone had the ideal bell shape, and which leveled out on the leather to form a very good and uniform finish (the viscosity of the solution was 600 cP at the application temperature). EXAMPLE 3 100 g of the solution of Example 2b were admixed with 20 g of a 20% strength solution of cellulose acetobutyrate in 60:40 acetone/diacetone alcohol. This solution was likewise readily spray-dispensable. EXAMPLE 4 a) A 30% strength aqueous dispersion of product II was spray dispensed in the booth, which was filled with room air, in accordance with the following recipe: 3 parts of the PU dispersion 30% strength (18% solids content) 2 parts of water 0.4 part of a carbon black colouring. The liquor had a viscosity which is characterized by an efflux time of 13" in the 4 mm Ford cup. Although the dispersion had a viscosity suitable for spray dispensing, the result was a poor spray distribution. The droplets of spray impinging on the substrate were already so dry at the surface that adequate flow was impossible. b) Batch and machine setting as in Example 4a, except that the atmosphere in the spray booth was changed by blowing in diethyl ketone/water vapour and nitrogen. The material was satisfactorily sprayable, and the levelling on the substrate was immaculate. EXAMPLE 5 A PUR reactive system which at RT has a viscosity of about 3,000 cP and a solids content of 90% was spray dispensed. Composition 50 parts of the PES/polyurethane/NCO prepolymer mentioned under product III 50 parts of the PE/polyurethane/NCO prepolymer mentioned under product III 15 parts of a mill base in cyclohexane of an iron oxide pigment of brown colour 5 parts of a silicone oil 10 parts of methoxypropyl acetate and 5 parts of diethylene glycol.

The batch was not sprayable in this consistency (of 12,000 cP at 20 C.), but on warming to 80 C. the viscosity was reduced to 600 cP and the batch because sprayable with very good levelling properties. The control air was adjusted to 3 bar; the turbine had a speed of 40,000 rpm. EXAMPLE 6 As a modification of Example 1 of DE-A-2,637,115 the following experiment was carried out: Two metering pumps, one for prepolymer A (see below) and the other for hardener 1, were used to convey into a mixing chamber incorporating a mixer as described in EP-A-1,581, where mixing took place with the aid of nitrogen and the mixture was sprayed with a spray gun provided with a spray electrode onto an oppositely charged (earthed) mould adhesively bonded to an aluminium plate. Owing to the solvent present in the spray booth atmosphere, the levelling of the sprayed material on the mould was excellent. The composition sprayed onto the mould leveled out in the manner of a film and began to set after about 1 minute, calculated from the time of spraying. The reacting composition had placed on top of it the split leather to be coated, which was pressed in place. The total coating then passed through a hot drying duct at 80 C. After about 6 minutes, calculated from the time of spraying, the coating was peeled without tackiness from the mould. The polyurethane urea layer had a thickness of 0.22-0.25 mm. The coated split leather had a grain confusingly similar to natural leather, and after a short time it was dry, stackable and processible on conventional shoe machines. The adhesion between coating and split leather was excellent, and the handle was pleasantly dry. EXAMPLE 7 A prepolymer was prepared from equal parts by weight of a polydiethylene glycol adipate (molecular weight 2,000) and polyethylene glycol (molecular weight 400) by means of isophorone diisocyanate, and the prepolymer was advanced with hydrazine hydrate to a polyurethane urea. Polyurethane was present as a 40% strength solution in 3:3:1 toluene/isopropanol/2methoxypropanol. The solution had a viscosity which was not measureable in a DIN cup (4 mm; DIN 53211); (in a Haake viscometer the viscosity was more than 20,000 cP at 22 C.). Nor was it sprayable. The dilution with the same solvent mixture as in Example 8 to a viscosity of 85 seconds (180 cP at 22 C.) and a concentration of 14.5% produced a solution which was still not sprayable by the airless technique but which was already excellently processible according to the invention.

By the airless technique this product was conventionally processible only at a concentration of 11.4% and a viscosity of 17 seconds. EXAMPLE 8 1 part of a polyurethane of hexane diisocyanate (3.5 parts) and (96.4 parts) of polyester of butanediolhexanediol polyadipate (molecular weight 5,000) and trimethylolpropane (0.04 part) and 2 parts of a cellulose acetobutyrate were dissolved at 15% strength in a 1:1 mixture of ethyl acetate and butyl acetate. The solution had a viscosity of 70 seconds in a DIN cup (200 cP at 22 C.). By the method of the invention it was excellently sprayable, but by the airless technique it only became sprayable on dilution to below 8% (viscosity: 20 seconds). In what follows, the products used above are described in more detail. Product I One-component thermoplastic polyester-polyurethane as 30% strength solution in 1:1 toluene/isopropanol consisting of an adipic acid/hexanediol polyester having an average molecular weight of 2,000 reacted with isophorone diisocyanate in a molar ratio NCO:OH of 1:1. Product II 30% strength diethyl ketone/water (1:9) dispersion of a polyester urethane consisting of a polyester of adipic acid/dihydroxypropionic acid/hexanediol having a molecular weight of 1,600 with free COOH groups, which serve as hydrophilic free COOH components, saturation of the free COOH components by an aliphatic diamine and reaction of the resulting polyester with isophorone diisocyanate at a molar ratio NCO/OH of 1:1. Product III A highly reactive 2-component polyurethane as described in DE-A-2,637,115, consisting of a 70% strength polyester prepolymer of adipic acid/hexanediol of molecular weight 2,000 reacted with TDI-2,4 in a molar ratio NCO:OH of 2:1 and dissolved in toluene with an 80% solids content. It is used together with a polyetherpolyurethane consisting of 4,4'-diisocyanatodiphenylmethane and a polyether consisting of polypropylene glycol ether (molecular weight 2,000) (NCO:OH=2:1) in the mixing ratio of 1:1. Prepolymer A A reactor is charged with 444 g of 1-isocyanato-3-isocyanatomethyl-3,5,5-trimethylcyclohexane

(isophorone diisocyanate). At room temperature, 9 g of 1,4-butanediol, 9 g of trimethylolpropane and 1,600 g of a hydroxy polyester of adipic acid, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol and 1,4butanediol having a hydroxyl number of 56 and a molecular weight of 2,000 were added in succession with stirring. The reaction mixture was heated and maintained at 110 C. for about 1 hour (until NCO is constant). After cooling down to 65 C., the reaction mixture was diluted with 412 g of methyl ethyl ketone and 206 g of toluene, corresponding to a 77% strength solution. The prepolymer solution had a viscosity at 20 C. of 1,000 cP. Hardener 1 A mixture of 170 g of 3,3,5-trimethyl-5-aminomethyl-cyclohexylamine (IPDA), 13 g of water and 417 g of methyl ethyl ketone was refluxed for 2 hours. After cooling down, the mixture was ready for use as a hardener. Of the 170 g (1 mole) of IPDA used, there were present in the mixture: A) 12.9 mol% as free IPDA B) 41.6 mol% as ##STR1## c) 45.5 mol% as the bis-methyl ethyl ketone ketimine of IPDA The mixture also contained in total 37.88 g of water.

LEATHER TANNING PROCESS:

Leather tanning is a process in which chemical agents and extracts are applied to various types of hides and skins in order to prevent rotting. Not all tanneries follow the same method of processing hides into leather. However, the process described here is used by the majority. First, the hides must be prepared for tanning at the packing house. This includes unhairing (a lime solution loosens the hair, making removal easier), fleshing (cleaning off the inner side of the hides), and bating (removing the lime from the hides). Next, the skins and hides are cured salted or soaked in brine to preserve them until they reach the tannery. Once at the tannery, the hides are soaked to remove the salt. Two primary methods are used to then convert the raw material into leather: chrome tanning and vegetable tanning. The method used depends on the intended use of the leather. Chrome tanning, which involves the use of soluble chromium salts such as chromium sulfate, is used primarily to tan leather for the upper parts of shoes. Vegetable tanning, which uses tannic acid, is used to tan heavy leather for shoe soles, bags, straps, harnesses, and other products used in industrial equipment. Chrome tanning is the most widely used method in the United States. Several basic stages are involved in the tanning process. First, the underlying layer of the hide is "split" off and shaved to uniform thickness. Tanning drums are then used to saturate the hides in the tanning solution, which preserves the hide and adds strength. The hides are tanned again, where dyes and oils are added to provide, color, softness, and durability. Then the hide must be stretched

and dried to remove all excess moisture. At this point, the leather is firm, flat, and ready to be trimmed. Finally, the hide is conditioned and finished. The finishing process involves softening the hide mechanically, spraying final colors onto the leather to meet customer requirements, and embossing to the required texture.