Tanbark is the

bark Bark may refer to: Common meanings * Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick * Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog) Arts and entertainment * ''Bark'' (Jefferson Airplane album), ...

of certain species of trees, traditionally used for tanning hides into

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning (leather), tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffal ...

. The words "

tannin Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and Precipitation (chemistry), precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids. The term ''tannin'' is widel ...

", " tanning", " tan," and " tawny" are derived from the

Medieval Latin Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin used in Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Western Europe during the Middle Ages. It was also the administrative language in the former Western Roman Empire, Roman Provinces of Mauretania, Numidi ...

, "to convert into leather." Bark mills are horse- or oxen-driven or water-powered edge mills and were used in earlier times to shred the tanbark to derive tannins for the leather industry. A "barker" was a person who stripped bark from trees to supply bark mills.

Tanbark around the world

In Europe,

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

is a common source of tanbark. Quercitannic acid is the chief constituent found in oak barks. The bark is taken from young branches and twigs in oak

coppice Coppicing is the traditional method in woodland management of cutting down a tree to a tree stump, stump, which in many species encourages new Shoot (botany), shoots to grow from the stump or roots, thus ultimately regrowing the tree. A forest ...

s and can be up to 4 mm thick; it is grayish-brown on the outside and brownish-red on the inner surface. In some areas of the United States, such as central Pennsylvania and northern

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, "mulch" is often called tanbark, even by manufacturers and distributors. In these areas, the word "mulch" may refer to peat moss or to very fine tanbark. In California, '' Notholithocarpus densiflorus'' (commonly known as the ''tanoak'' or ''tanbark-oak'') was used. In America,

condensed tannin Condensed tannins (proanthocyanidins, polyflavonoid tannins, catechol-type tannins, pyrocatecollic type tannins, non-hydrolyzable tannins or flavolans) are polymers formed by the condensation of flavans. They do not contain sugar residues. They ...

s are also present in the bark of blackjack oak ('' Quercus marilandica''). In New York, on the slopes of Mount Tremper, hemlock bark was a major source of tanbark during the 19th century. Around the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

, sumach ('' Rhus coriaria'') leaves and bark are used. In Africa and Australia,

acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as wattles or acacias, is a genus of about of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa, South America, and Austral ...

(called "wattle") bark is used by tanners. One ton of wattle or mimosa bark produces about 150 lbs of pure

.''The National Cyclopaedia of Useful Knowledge'', Vol II (1847), Charles Knight, London, p.873. Used tanbark is employed in horticulture and spread on flower beds and in glass houses to keep down weeds and protect plant roots. File:EichenLoheSchaeler1.jpg, Tool to remove bark from oak branches File:Schleissen 1.jpg, Removal of bark from oak branches File:Schleissen 2.jpg, Another view of the process File:Oakbark.jpg, The bark of an oak tree File:Young red oak bark.jpg, Young red oak bark

References

External links

{{Non-timber forest products Tanning (leather) Non-timber forest products

Tanbark around the world

See also

References

External links