hemp fiber

1. Hemp fibre
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2. Introduction
• Scientific name : Cannabis sativa
• Common name : Hemp
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3. Cont ..
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1. Hemp is an annual ,aromatic and stout plant.
2. Its growing season is from April to September.
3. The plant can be monoecious or dioecious.
4. The stalks are normally 4±10mm thick with a height of 1.5±2.5 m.
5. Similarly to flax the bast layer (phloem) of the stalk contains the valuable
textile fibres.
6. At the foot of the stalk the number of bundles increases so as to improve the
stability of the plant.

4. Physical characteristics
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Physical characteristics of hemp fibre bundles the following measurements are
sual:
• length of fibre bundles (1500 to 2500mm)
• weight of these bundles
• breaking strength of bundles
• drape of bundles (this is a measure of the flexibility of the fibres)

5. Hemp as a fibre crop
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Terms to understand
1. Retting The decomposition of pectins that bind fibres to the other parts of the
stems or leaves, usually by the action of enzymes produced by bacteria or fungi.
Ground retting water retting
2. Scutching The process of removing line fibres from tow and extraneous matter
3. Tow The short fibers
4. Line Long fibres
5. Scutched tow Short flax fibres produced by the scutching operation.
6. Hurd : Non-fibrous woody matter produced as a by-product of scutching.
7. Hackling The operation of combing the long fibres in order to remove short Fibres.

6. General description
Retting
Winding
Spinning
Tow fibre
separation
Scutching
Breaking
Weaving fabric finishing
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7. Hemp producing countries
• China
• Australia
• Canada
• France
• Hungary
• Greece
• Germany
• Finalnd etc
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8. Products and uses
• From hemp fibre : animal bedding
and mulch , insulation , fabric
,carpeting ,automobile parts ,pulp
and paper
• From hemp oil : body care product
,fuel,paint,salad dressing
,detergents,cooking additives etc
• From hemp seed : beer ,dietary
fibre , feed ,confections, snack ,flour
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9. PROS AND CONS OF HEMP FABRIC
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PROS
1. Incredibly strong fibre.
2. It is porous and hence water
absorbent.
3. Hemp is a breathable fabric
4. It effectively blocks UV rays.
5. It is hypoallergenic
6. Fibre is completely biodegradable.
Cons
1. A characteristic feature of hemp is its
abrasive nature
2. Garments made entirely from hemp
tend to wrinkle easily, its elastic
recovery is very poor.
3. Hemp fibres can be attacked by fungi
and bacteria under hot and humid
condition.

10. Abaca Fibre

11. What is abaca fibre?
Abaca fibre is a bast fibre.
The fibre is extracted from the stalk of the plant called
abaca.
Abaca is also known as Manila hemp.
Abaca fibres are extensively used to produce ropes,
woven fabrics, tea bags, etc.
It is a biodegradable and sustainable fibre.
Abaca is considered the strongest of natural fibres, being
three times stronger than sisal fiber.

12. Abaca
plant
Abacaleaf
Abaca fruit
Abaca fibre

13. Cultivation of Abaca fibre
The plant is normally grown in well-drained loamy soil,
using rhizomes planted at the start of the rainy season.
In addition, new plants can be started by seeds.
Growers harvest abaca fields every three to eight months
after an initial growth period of 12–25 months.
Harvesting is done by removing the leaf-stems after
flowering but before fruit appears.
The plant loses productivity between 15 and 40 years.
The slopes of volcanoes provide a preferred growing
environment.

14. Harvesting generally includes several operations involving the leaf
sheaths:
• tuxying (separation of primary and secondary sheath)
• stripping (getting the fibers)
• drying (usually following the tradition of sun-drying).
When the processing is complete, the bundles of fiber are pale and
lustrous with a length of 6–12 feet (1.8–3.7 m).

15. Physical Properties
 Length: 2-4 metre
 Diameter: 150-260 microns
 Density: 1.5 g/cm3
 Tensile strength: 980 N/m2
 Elongation: 1.1%
 Moisture regain: 5.81%
 Young’s modulus: 41 GPa

16. Chemical properties
Effect of acids: Due to higher lignin content, fibre has higher
inherent acidic content & have a higher potential for acidic
degradation. It is not hydrolyzed by acids.
Effect of alkali: It is soluble in hot alkali, readily oxidized and easily
condensable with phenol.
Ability to dye: Abaca fibre shows excellent ability to dyeing
without any loss of luster.

17. Uses of abaca fibre

18. Cordage products - ropes, twines, binders,
cord
Pulp and paper manufactures - tea bags, filter paper, base tissue, base
paper
Cigarette paper, currency paper, envelopes, time cards, book binders. x-ray
negative, optical lens wiper, vacuum filter, oil filter.
Nonwovens - medical gas masks and gowns, diapers, hospital linens, bed
sheets.
Handmade paper - paper sheets, stationeries, lamp shades, balls, bags,
photo frames and albums, flowers, table clock.
Fibercrafts - handbags, carpets, purses and wallets, fishnets, door mats,
table clock

19. Thank you