Title: Alum tanning process for edible collagen casing

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Claims: What is claimed is:

1. In a process for producing an edible collagen casing which comprises extruding an aqueous collagen slurry through a die into an aqueous coagulating medium to form a collagen casing, tanning the coagulated casing in a tanning bath containing aluminum salts and drying to produce an edible casing product, the improvement for tanning the collagen casing which comprises immersing the coagulated casing in a tanning bath which is free of any aluminum chelating agents and contains an admixture of aluminum ammonium sulfate and monobasic aluminum sulfate at a molar ratio in the range of 1:2 to 2:1, the aluminum ammonium sulfate being present in the bath in an effective amount at a concentration of less than 3% by weight.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the molar ratio of aluminum ammonium sulfate to monobasic aluminum sulfate is about 1:1.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the aluminum ammonium sulfate is present in the tanning bath at a concentration of about 1.0 to about 2.5% by weight.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the aluminum ammonium sulfate is present in the tanning bath at a concentration of about 1.25 to 2.25% by weight.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the monobasic aluminum sulfate is present in the tanning bath at a concentration of about 0.25 to about 0.85% by weight.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein the monobasic aluminum sulfate is present in the tanning bath at a concentration of about 0.35 to 0.70% by weight.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein the tanning bath is prepared by dissolving aluminum sulfate in water, reacting the aluminum sulfate with a stoichiometric amount of ammonia to form a mixture of AlNH.sub.4 (SO.sub.4).sub.2 . 12H.sub.2 O and AlOHSO.sub.4 and then adjusting the salt concentration in the bath so that the concentration of AlNH.sub.4 (SO.sub.4).sub.2 . 12H.sub.2 O in the bath is less than 3% by weight and the molar ratio of AlNH.sub.4 (SO.sub.4).sub.2 . 12H.sub.2 O to AlOHSO.sub.4 is in the range of 1:2 to 2:1.

Other info:

Inventors: Burke, Noel Ian (Danville, IL, US)

Application Number: 628260
Filing Date: 1975-11-03
Publication_date: 1976-09-21
Assignee: Tee-Pak, Inc. (Chicago, IL)
Primary Class(es): 426/273 264/202, 426/140, 426/277, 426/278
Other Classes:
US Patent Ref:

3123480	Mar, 1964	Lieberman	426/140.
3151990	Oct, 1964	McKnight	426/140.
3512997	May, 1970	Cohly et al.	426/140.

Other Refs:
Primary Examiner: Monacell, A. Louis
Assistant Examiner: Massung, Esther L.
Attorney: Shapiro; Paul, Kerwin; Joseph E., Dittmann; William A.