GB992585A - Improvements in or relating to open-fibred collagenous masses and methods of making same - Google Patents

Abstract

An open-fibred coherent collagenous material comprises collagen fibres bound together by a fibrous derivative of gelatin. In a method of making such a material a fibrous collagen derivative resulting from the action of a polyfunctional linking agent on gelatin is caused to precipitate amongst a mass of collagen fibres whereby to bond the fibres together in an open-fibred structure. The collagen derivative may be obtained by hydrolysis of hides, skins or bones, glue &c. as in normal gelatin making processes and the gelatin molecules are converted into fibrous insoluble material through the action of poly-functional linking agents e.g. a tanning agent such as a chrome complex, other inorganic salts such as those of aluminium, ferric iron, titanium and zirconium and organic cross linking agents such as aldehydes and certain hydroxyl-containing compounds. The fibres are prepared from skins &c. by lightly tanning the skin and placing pieces in water in a beater where it is beaten into individual fibres of small clumps of fibres and finally dewatering. Combination of existing collagen fibres with the gelatin is preferably effected by preparing an aqueous solution of the gelatin and bringing the fibres and solution together under such conditions as to ensure uniform distribution of the gelatin on the existing fibres. This may be done in a worm type mixer and the mixture is subsequently spread into a sheet by a known procedure and allowed to set resulting in a sheet of leather-like material. Specifications 927,282, 957,783, 960,830 and 979,310 are referred to.