Glue factories typically make glue using collagen extracted from animal by-products, such as skin and bones. This process involves cooking these materials at high temperatures to convert the collagen into glue, which is then extracted.
Here's a breakdown of the process:
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Source Material Collection: Glue factories collect animal by-products (hides, bones, connective tissues) from slaughterhouses and meat processing facilities. These materials are rich in collagen.
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Preparation: The raw materials undergo pre-treatment processes like washing, grinding, and soaking in lime (calcium hydroxide). This step helps to clean the materials and break down the tissues, making collagen extraction easier.
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Collagen Extraction (Cooking): The treated materials are then cooked in large vats or pressure cookers at controlled high temperatures. The heat hydrolyzes the collagen, breaking it down into gelatin, which is the liquid form of glue. This process often involves multiple "cooks" at progressively higher temperatures to extract different grades of glue.
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Extraction and Filtration: The liquid gelatin (glue) is extracted and filtered to remove any remaining solid particles and impurities.
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Concentration and Drying: The filtered gelatin is concentrated by evaporation to increase the solid content. It is then dried, typically using air drying, vacuum drying, or drum drying techniques. This results in solid glue in the form of sheets, flakes, beads, or powder.
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Further Processing (Optional): Some glue factories may add additives like preservatives, plasticizers (to improve flexibility), or resins (to enhance adhesion) to customize the properties of the glue for specific applications.
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Packaging: The finished glue is packaged for distribution to various industries and consumers.
In summary, the process relies on breaking down animal collagen through heat and extracting the resulting gelatin. The process can be summarized as:
- Sourcing: Acquire animal by-products.
- Preparation: Clean and pretreat the by-products.
- Extraction: Cook the materials to extract gelatin.
- Refining: Filter and concentrate the gelatin.
- Finishing: Dry and package the glue.
