Specialty Fabrics Review February 2023 - 48

[ MARKETS ] PRODUCT TRENDS
hemp
Russ Jessup, a hemp breeder at Texas
A&M, the goal is to release 20 to 50
or more hemp lines by 2024.
While its medicinal
applications are well
understood, more
research is needed in
processing hemp fiber,
its marketing needs and
cost-benefit aspects.
Industrial applications
Hemp is a bast fiber rich in cellulose.
Depending on the variety, cellulose
content may vary between 50 and
85%. Both in terms of fiber chemistry
and agronomy requirements, there is
some similarity between cotton and
hemp. In arid regions where cotton is
the dominant crop, hemp attracts due
attention. However, marketing and
value realization aspects are slowing
the hemp drive. While its medicinal
applications are well understood, more
research is needed in processing hemp
fiber, its marketing needs and costbenefit
aspects.
Green manufacturing interests
should push hemp into the advanced
textiles sector. Hemp, being a celluloserich
fiber, has high strength, durability
and favorable chemical characteristics.
Research shows that certain varieties
of hemp can have strength as high
as 800 MPa (megapascals) which is
almost twice that of cotton fibers.
Its shrinkage is less than cotton
enabling its applications in fashion
and industrial textiles.
Hygiene textiles such as wipes
are dependent on their absorbent
core, but they are single-use and are
often made of synthetics. " These
single-use textiles have disposal
problems, so the industry is looking
toward biodegradable raw materials, "
says Ramakrishnan Govindan,
professor of Fashion Technology
at the Kumaraguru College of
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48 SPECIALTY FABRICS REVIEW / February 2023
Technology in Coimbatore, India.
" With high volatility in the cotton
market, it is time that industry looks
toward bast fibers like hemp and
other unconventional fibers like
banana fibers. "
Govindan's laboratory has been
exploring alternative fibers to develop
sanitary napkins and home textile
products. Sanitary pads made with
alternative fibers have been found
to have higher absorption of bodily
fluids. Hemp can be a viable alternative
fiber for developing home textiles like
carpets, kitchen mats and so on, but
more research is needed for their use
in hygiene applications.
Lifecycle assessment (LCA)
and information on Best Available
Technologies (BAT) for the hemp
industry have not been subjects of focus
so far. " We see increased interest from
some European-based fashion retailers
to work with fiber suppliers that are BAT
compliant, " says Buddhi Weerasinghe,
senior project officer at BluWin. It is
important for the hemp industry to
initiate projects that investigate LCA
and BAT to make inroads into some
fashion products as well as single-use
hygiene and medical textiles.
The way forward
While hemp has opportunities, the
industry has several barriers that
need to be overcome. These include
agronomy, processing, warehousing
and marketing. State agriculture
experimental stations must breed
suitable high-yielding varieties which
can produce uniform hemp within
stipulated THC levels. The machinery
needed to process hemp fibers, web
laying and bonding technologies
must be standardized to move toward
a singular shared goal. Research
laboratories in states that focus on
hemp should work on applied research
projects and outreach to producers
and stakeholders. But all this will need
state-level funding and resources.
Dr. Seshadri Ramkumar is a professor in the
Nonwovens and Advanced Materials Laboratory,
Texas Tech University, Lubbock.
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