The Effect of Gamma Irradiation on Shrinkage Activity of Collagen in Vegetable Tanned Leather

The dose dependent effect of gamma irradiation on collagen in vegetable tanned leather was studied by the MHT method. Examination of the irradiated samples at 3 months after the irradiation treatment revealed variations of the main shrinkage temperatures and intervals. Up to 25 kGy, the shrinkage temperature does not vary while the total shrinkage interval decreases suggesting cross-linking as the main process. At higher doses, the decrease of shrinkage temperature is accompanied by the increase of the total shrinkage interval indicating that peptide chain scission becomes predominat. Quebracho-tanned sheep leather shows to be the less resistant to the deterioration effect of gamma radiations, while both mimosa-tanned goat leather and quebracho-tanned calf leather better withstand the destabilization effects.