Curtimento de pele de pirarucu (Arapaima gigas, Schinz 1822) com taninos vegetais da Amazônia

Abstract

At present the market is valuing the fish skins by present special features that can be transformed in leather with softness, elasticity and resistance characteristics. However, these characteristics depend on factors principally the tanning technique to be carried out. This assignment aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the barks of Amazon trees, with elevated contents of taníferos, for the tanning of pirarucu skins (Arapaima gigas, Schinz 1822): Myrcia atramentifera (cumatê) (T1) e Pouteria guianensis (abiurana) (T2), being compared with the tanning of fish skin with chrome salts (T3). Thickness of body proofs was determined and traction resistance, elongation, and progressive tearing tests were undertaken by EMIC dynamometer. The leathers obtained were compared in function of technique of tanning, section (longitudinal and transversal) and region (tail, spine and belly), according to the ABNT norms. The traction force was bigger for the leather in the treatment 1 and in the transversal section. The elongation not presented an expressive difference in any of the variables analyzed. The progressive tearing tests showed that the tail region, in the transversal section was more resistant in relation to the maximum force. According to the results, the leathers of pirarucu processed were classified as quality A (T1), quality AB (T2), and quality B (T3), revealing that the tearing of skins of pirarucu with vegetal tanning barks of this researches provided leathers with better quality that the others with the tanning of chromium.