What is the Wet White tanning process?

All tanners are facing the same problems of reducing the environmental and health impact of their processes when selling into the global market. This is one of the reasons tanneries introduced this new Wet White.

But what is the Wet White?

The wet white is a type of tanning. The name of this tanning operation derives from the color that the leather acquires after  having completed the process. In fact the processed leather has a whitish color. 

Wet white is an innovative process that does not use harmful and chemical materials, but it leaves unchanged the typical softness of the leather, like in the chrome tanning, but in full respect of the environment. 

This is a real Eco-friendly tanning process.

Wet white leathers are produced by combinations of synthetic tannins, vegetable tannins, glutaraldehydes and minerals, such as aluminum. Wet white tanning allows a chromium-free operation with the same equipment that chrome tanneries use.

A wide variety of different types of leather can successfully be produced using the wet white system, including automotive leathers, leather accessories and shoe uppers.

Why choose the wet white?

6 Advantages of the wet white tanning process: 

1. Lighter color that can be converted into pastel shades
2. Shrinking temperatures of at least 70°C
3. High softness
4. Good lightness
5. Natural touch 
6. High-performance. Sometimes better than chrome tanning

2 Disadvantages of the wet white tanning process

1. higher production cost compared to chrome tanning but newer techniques have reduced this difference
2. There are more controls for this type of process compared to the chrome tanning.

The quality of the finished product is the result of many variables within the production cycle, which only a consolidated experience in the tanning art can guarantee. So, always focus on the quality, it is the best feature you can ask for!

Read more about what we wrote about leather and leather dye in our blog: