Hydrophobic Protective Layer Could Open New Applications For Hemp
The hemp plant is arguably the most useful and versatile crop in existence, with humans having made use of it for thousands of years for a wide array of applications. Yet, there is still a lot more to be learned about how humans can make the most out of hemp harvests, as demonstrated by the findings of a recent study in China.
A team of researchers based in China recently examined how incorporating a silicone-containing, water-based polyurethane coating impacts hemp fabric and paper’s level of water resistance and their mechanical stability.
“Hemp fabric and cellulose paper are sustainable materials with high application potential – but their limited water resistance and mechanical resilience hinder their wider industrial use.” reported European Coatings in its original coverage of the research. “A research team from China has now developed a functionalised coating that addresses these weaknesses: A water-based polyurethane acrylate coating with silicone components (WPUASi) increases both the hydrophobicity and the strength of the substrates.”
“The emulsion, which is based on an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN), was applied to hemp textiles and filter paper. The water contact angle (WCA) increased from 0° to 127.5° for hemp and to 113.2° for paper. The mechanical characteristics also improved significantly: the tensile strength of the hemp fabric increased by 19 % and the folding strength of the filter paper increased 23-fold.” European Coatings also wrote.
The researchers also applied the protective layer to other materials, including cotton and wood, and it yielded similar results. For hemp specifically, the emulsion seemed to properly adhere, as proven by the treated hemp material retaining ‘most of its hydrophobic and mechanical properties’ after ‘several washing cycles.’
Further research will need to be conducted to see what new ways hemp can be used after being treated with a coating like the one at the heart of this investigation in China. Entrepreneurs and innovators around the globe will no doubt explore a multitude of possibilities, both for industrial applications and beyond.
A team of researchers affiliated with Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-BarcelonaTech (Spain) and Dresden University of Technology (Germany) recently conducted a separate study that examined hemp and mechanical-chemical cottonization. The results of the study were published in the academic journal Cellulose.
“The hemp treated with a high level of H2O2 stabilizer, according to the established experimental design for the oxidizing process, exhibited superior performance when blended with cotton and spun with a count of 40 tex and a twist coefficient (αm) of 170. These outcomes are of industrial interest for the production of fine yarns because they can be easily implemented using existing machinery devoted to processing cotton.” the researchers determined.
Advances in hemp research increase the potential for the global hemp market. During a recent presentation at the International Cannabis Business Conference in Berlin, leading international cannabis industry economist Beau Whitney, founder of Whitney Economics, provided data demonstrating that the value of the global industrial hemp industry could be as much as $456.2 billion.