Acid Lipase for Leather Degreasing

TL;DR

• Acid lipase degreasing targets natural fat left in the hide, hydrolysing triglycerides so fat disperses evenly instead of sitting on the grain as oil cream.
• It belongs at the pickle / wet-blue stage, where the hide is already acidic, not at soak or liming.
• Our repeat-ordered SKU, Acid Lipase For Leather Degreasing Process, runs at pH 3.0–6.0, 15–65°C, dosed 0.20%–2.00% on pelt weight depending on hide type.
• An alkaline lipase exists in our catalogue, but it is formulated for detergent wash liquor (pH 6.5–9.5, 25–95°C), not beamhouse chemistry — treat it as a different product, not a drop-in alternative.
• Enzymes.bio supplies bulk lipase and protease options for leather processing through the lipase range, with COA and SDS for bulk sourcing.

What does acid lipase do in leather degreasing?

Acid lipase for leather degreasing breaks down natural fats in the hide so they can be removed evenly, instead of surfacing later as oil cream or uneven dye uptake. Lipases hydrolyse ester bonds in triglycerides, a reaction class described under EC 3.1.1.3, releasing fatty acids and glycerides that disperse in the float rather than staying locked in the fibre structure.

Raw hide fat content varies a lot by species and cut. Pigskin and sheepskin in particular carry enough natural fat that solvent or surfactant degreasing alone often leaves residue — grease spew after finishing, patchy dye, or a greasy handle. An acid lipase applied at the right process stage attacks that fat directly, on top of whatever solvent or surfactant system is already in use.

Practical framing: lipase does not replace mechanical fleshing or the degreasing drum. It is a chemistry addition that makes the existing degreasing step more complete, particularly on fatty skins that resist surfactant-only treatment.

Where does degreasing fit in the tanning process?

Degreasing with acid lipase belongs at the pickle or wet-blue stage, after liming and before or during chrome tanning — not at soak or liming, where the hide is alkaline. A beamhouse-to-tanyard sequence, in process-pH order:

Our acid lipase SKU is described for use on “acid leather, wet-blue and fur,” which lines up with this table: by the time the hide reaches pickle or wet-blue it is already at the pH the enzyme needs, so degreasing doesn’t require a separate pH adjustment. That’s also why it pairs naturally with an acid protease used earlier in pickle/bating — both operate in the same pH 3–6 window, on the same drum load.

Acid lipase vs alkaline lipase vs solvent/surfactant degreasing

Acid lipase, alkaline lipase, and solvent/surfactant degreasing are not interchangeable — they differ in pH window, process stage, and what they are actually formulated for.

The practical takeaway for a pickle/wet-blue degreasing job: reach for the acid lipase, not the alkaline one, and expect to run it alongside — not instead of — your existing degreasing agents.

Operating variables: pH, temperature, dose, float, time

Get pH and hide type right first — those two variables set the rest of the trial.

• pH: 3.0–6.0. Outside this window activity drops off; the product is designed to already be in range once the hide has been pickled.
• Temperature: 15–65°C. Confirm stability at the top of that range on your own drum, since real floats rarely hold a single set point.
• Dose, by pelt weight: cowhide 0.20%–0.50%; pig skin 0.50%–1.50%; goat skin 0.50%–1.50%; sheep skin 0.50%–2.00%. The wider range for pig and sheep skin reflects their higher natural fat load.
• Float and time: not fixed by the product sheet — set by your drum size, liquor ratio, and existing degreasing step length. Start from your current float and time, add the enzyme, and adjust from there.
• Format and handling: white powder, 1 kg bags, stored cool and dry out of direct sunlight; shelf life 12 months unopened.

Limitations to plan around

Acid lipase for leather degreasing is not a universal fix — it has real boundaries worth planning a trial around.

• Fat type and hide type: dosing is already split by species because fat content differs so much between cowhide and pig or sheep skin — a dose tuned for cowhide will likely under-treat a fatty sheepskin.
• Temperature ceiling: activity is described up to 65°C; running hotter isn’t covered by the product data — check the CoA / contact us if your process runs warmer.
• Compatibility: the product is described as compatible and synergistic with other degreasing agents in the wet-blue/fur step, but exact interaction data for a specific surfactant system, bating-enzyme blend, chrome liquor residue, or sulfide carryover isn’t published — check the CoA / contact us before a full-scale run.
• Not a liming or unhairing tool: it is strictly a degreasing enzyme for the acid side of the process. Hair removal is an alkaline protease job at liming, not this product.

How to trial it before switching

1. Pick a leaner hide and a fattier one (e.g. cowhide plus pig or sheep skin) — the dose range differs enough between them to matter.
2. Run side-by-side drums: current process only, plus the acid lipase at the low and high end of its dose range.
3. Hold pH, temperature, float, and time constant across drums so any difference is attributable to the enzyme.
4. Check fat content before and after with your lab’s standard fat-extraction method — an objective measure, not a visual guess.
5. Inspect for grease spew and dye uniformity after dyeing/fatliquoring, where under-degreased fat typically shows up first, then set the working dose from the published range.

Product fit and sourcing

Enzymes.bio supplies bulk lipase options, including Acid Lipase For Leather Degreasing Process, through the lipase range, with COA and SDS for bulk sourcing. For the wider beamhouse toolkit — protease for liming/unhairing and pickle/bating alongside lipase for degreasing — the leather processing enzymes category groups the relevant products together, including the acid protease used for pickle and wet-blue reconditioning and the alkaline endo-protease used for liming.

Ask before ordering:

• What hide type and target fat content are you working with?
• What is your current pickle/wet-blue pH and temperature profile?
• Are you replacing solvent/surfactant degreasing, or adding the enzyme alongside it?
• What documentation (COA, SDS) do you need before a production order?

Orders ship within 1 to 3 business days via third-party logistics, with consolidated shipping available to selected countries. Payment options include card, PayPal, and bank transfer.

FAQ

Does acid lipase replace solvent or surfactant degreasing entirely? Not based on the product data. It is described as compatible and synergistic with other degreasing agents in the wet-blue/fur step — alongside your existing degreasing chemistry, not a full replacement. Confirm with a side-by-side trial before removing an existing step.

How do I decide between protease, amylase, and lipase for a leather job? Match the class to the substrate: protease for hair and protein structures (liming, bating, pickle reconditioning), lipase for natural fat (degreasing). Amylase targets starch and is more relevant to textile desizing than tanning. A process touching more than one substrate usually needs more than one enzyme class.

If you’re specifying acid lipase for a pickle or wet-blue degreasing step, send your hide type, current process pH/temperature, and target fat content, and the team can route you to the right lipase option with COA and SDS.