Sustainable Management of Chrome Shaving Dust for Leather Particle Board Preparation: A Circular Economy Approach

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Chrome shaving dust (CSD), a tannery-derived solid waste, poses significant environmental and human health risks. This study focuses on producing leather particle boards (LPBs) by incorporating both chrome-tanned solid waste (CSD) and lignocellulosic agricultural waste (JCs). Valorization of CSD will significantly reduce the environmental pollution, while incorporating JCs will minimize the dependency on traditional wood resources. The mechanical properties of these underexplored leather particle boards were evaluated, and the findings showed their potential as sustainable alternatives to conventional wood-based particle boards. The response surface methodology was applied to optimize the ratio of the CSD to JC blend, identifying an ideal formulation containing a CSD-to-JC blend ratio of 70.43:44.41. The resulting LPBs exhibited superior mechanical performance, including an internal bonding strength of 0.97 ± 0.01 N/mm 2, a modulus of elasticity of 1627 ± 4.25 N/mm 2, a modulus of rupture of 20 ± 0.45 N/mm 2, a surface soundness of 1.2 ± 0.01 N/mm 2, and screw-holding capacities of 1195 ± 8.70 N at the face and 997 ± 6.35 N at the edge. Fire-retardant behavior was confirmed by a 31 ± 0.53% limited oxygen index and a burning duration of 9.3 ± 0.04 s. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy analyses showed uniform dispersion of components without structural degradation. Thermal analyses (thermogravimetric analysis–derivative thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry) confirmed the thermal stability of the optimized samples up to 350 °C. Overall, the study demonstrates a circular economy-based sustainable pathway for converting CSD into an effective alternative to conventional wood-based particle boards.