Corrosion in the Tannery

The atmosphere of a tannery is one of the most highly corrosive of industrial atmospheres. Humidity is high, often containing corrosive vapours from the various liquors used in tanning processes, and the tanner has to choose his metal materials carefully. An additional hazard is the danger of harmful corrosion products dropping on to the skins and hides. This article describes the metals used for different tanning processes and also methods of protecting structural steelwork of the tannery.