Hemp fiber - what is it and how does it work?

Hemp is characterized by its versatility, making it useful in both medicine and industry. In particular, the use of hemp as a fiber is one of the most common solutions known for centuries. So why opt for hemp fiber and what characterizes it?

Hemp fiber production

As a rule, the production of hemp fiber is based on straw, which undergoes a special retting process. This is designed to separate the bast fibers from the rest of the stem. How does retting look? The straw goes through an appropriate fermentation phase, where organic substances interact. As a result, pectin, the "glue" that binds hemp to fibers, decomposes. At this stage, regular straw turning is crucial so that the adhesive substances decompose evenly. This primarily determines the quality of the fiber. Based on color, it is also determined whether it's time to stop this process. Usually, this happens when the straw of hemp has a dark gray color and small spots appear on it. Moreover, such straw makes a characteristic sound when broken. After such straw preparation, it is formed into sheaves and left to dry. After drying, fiber extraction takes place. To do this, it is necessary to break and crush the stems. Then we need to get rid of impurities to obtain purified hemp fiber, ready for further processing.

Features of hemp fibers

At this point, it's worth noting what distinguishes hemp fiber. The properties of this product depend on what type of hemp fibers we are considering. We distinguish fibers: long, short. Fiber formation is based on a fully ecological procedure.

Features of long fibers

In the case of long fibers, their use in the textile industry can be primarily mentioned. This is due to the fact that they are of very good quality, and durability makes them suitable in the form of fabric, yarn, and other high-quality materials. They are also ideal for processing into technical fibers.

Features of short fibers

These fibers are created as a result of the disintegration of long ones. Therefore, they do not have the structure and quality suitable for fabrics. Instead, this type of hemp is used as insulation or composite materials. What's more, short hemp fibers work well in the form of hemp paper.

What is the use of hemp fiber?

As a rule, it is believed that hemp fibers are primarily useful in the textile industry. It is from them that characteristic ropes are made, characterized by exceptional durability. These extremely natural materials have extraordinary potential when it comes to use. Where can you find textile uses for hemp fibers? Sailing - this involves full use in sailing equipment. Both sail canvas and ship ropes are made from hemp. Moreover, durable fishing nets are made from this product. Clothing - hemp fabric is an excellent solution if we are interested in producing clothing and knits. This is due to the fact that such clothes are hypoallergenic and fully natural, and also have exceptional durability. What's more, there is no need to use too strong cleaning agents. Disinfection mats - hemp has unique antibacterial properties. This makes them perfect in the form of disinfection mats in rooms and public buildings. Smoking strings - the use of hemp for strings and smoking nets is one of the particularly noteworthy applications. Hemp can come into direct contact with food. Of course, the above examples do not fully exhaust the wide range of uses for these unique hemp fibers. However, the potential of hemp in industry has been recognized for hundreds of years.