## 3 Results
### Thermometric Characterization
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c} \hline  & \(\mathbf{T_{d}}\)\({}^{\circ}\)C & \(\mathbf{A}\mathbf{H}\mathbf{J}\) g\({}^{-1}\) & \(\mathbf{T_{1}}\)\({}^{\circ}\)C & \(\mathbf{W_{1}}\) \% & \(\mathbf{T_{2}}\)\({}^{\circ}\)C & **Residue Mass \%** \\ \hline
1 & 87.3 & \(-214.90\) & 77.93 & \(-8.63\) & 314.40 & 12.91 \\
2 & 106.83 & \(-813.27\) & 83.91 & \(-3.77\) & 352.64 & 4.56 \\
3 & 85.19 & \(-270.24\) & 75.38 & \(-8.30\) & 329.41 & 0.80 \\
4 & 186 & 605.80 & - & - & 391.39 & 10.66 \\
5 & 43.94 & \(-16.15\) & - & - & 355.75 & 1.16 \\
6 & 58.24 & \(-43.70\) & - & - & 372.04 & 2.51 \\
7 & 98.78 & \(-585.77\) & 73.84 & \(-9.70\) & 330.29 & 1.86 \\
8 & 87.07 & \(-334.04\) & 87.36 & \(-9.36\) & 331.15 & 1.84 \\
9 & 78.5 & \(-183.19\) & 80.62 & \(-11.03\) & 315.99 & 2.74 \\
10 & 87.08 & \(-323.47\) & 88.35 & \(-8.09\) & 341.20 & 2.57 \\ \hline \end{tabular} \({}^{\dagger}\)Denaturation temperature of collagen-based samples and the first peak of alternative materials (Td\({}^{\circ}\)C), denaturation enthalpy (AfJg\({}^{-1}\)), moisture loss peak (T1 \({}^{\circ}\)C), weight loss at T1 (%), main decomposition peak (T2 \({}^{\circ}\)C), and residual ash (%).  
\end{table} 
Table 4: DSC and TGA values of the samples \({}^{1}\). Figure 4: TG plots of collagen-based heathers and alternative materials. Another significant observation is that samples #1 and #4 display markedly higher residual mass values than the other samples. The ovine leather (#1) utilized in this study underwent chromium tanning and was subsequently retanned with inorganic mineral products. Conversely, leatherette (#4) is often made from synthetic polymers, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyurethane (PU), which can include inorganic fillers or additives to enhance properties like durability, flexibility, or fire resistance. These inorganic materials contribute to the overall inorganic content. Additionally, to achieve specific characteristics in leatherette, manufacturers often incorporate various additives, including stabilizers, plasticizers, and pigments. Many of these additives are inorganic compounds, leading to a higher overall inorganic matter content compared to genuine leather, which primarily consists of organic collagen fibers. Implementing alginate-based tanning agents in industrial leather production presents several challenges including cost, resource availability, scalability, and market acceptance. While alginate is bio-based, it may be costlier than traditional tanning agents like chromium. The commercial viability of alginate-based tanning may also be limited by resource availability, especially if seaweed production cannot meet high demand. Although lab-scale results indicate promising performance, scaling up for industrial production could face challenges in ensuring both efficiency and batch-to-batch consistency. Rigorous assessment of these factors is essential to maintain quality at a larger scale. Moreover, successful market adoption will require acceptance from manufacturers, brands, and consumers. Despite growing interest in sustainable materials, widespread adoption of alginate-tanned leather will depend on its ability to match the cost and durability of conventional tanning methods.