The project

The circular economy paradigm and the need to achieve carbon-neutral industries are two EU priorities. The concept of Cradle to Cradle (C2C) aims to reinvent industrial processes to provide healthy solutions and create an industry in which "everything can be reused, if the product returns to earth as a non-toxic "biological nutrient" or returns to the industry as a "technical nutrient" that can be recycled over and over again". Under this concept, the need to revalue agricultural or industrial plant by-products for some applications that may increase the residual matter of crops has become a key point for the development of this new economy based on the C2C concept. As many agricultural wastes are lignocellulosic fibrous substances with a significant lignin content, it seems essential to obtain textile fibres from this waste.

This technology specifically applied to by-products does not exist on the market, but there is a need, both in the countryside and in large industrial sectors, to promote the comprehensive exploitation of hemp, due to its benefits in terms of oils, food, etc. This will produce a certain amount of fibrous waste, which can be exploited in such a way that the significant increase, particularly in polyester, can reduce fibre in clothing. In fact, this increase is due to the fact that cotton production cannot match the increase in demand for natural fibres (right-hand image). It is therefore important to increase the percentage of natural fibres with other sources of organic matter. In addition, hemp cultivation requires almost no addition of chemicals or water consumption that other plants need. In fact, some varieties can be planted in rainy conditions.

The solution developed as a result of this research project would make it possible to manufacture yarn from a blend of hemp fibers with other fibers (cotton, lyocel, ...) from a combination of mechanical, chemical and enzyme processes that are individually known, but their combination makes it possible to exploit them and to obtain yarns of very acceptable quality for a large number of applications.

Residual industrial hemp

Cottonised hemp

75/25 cotton/ hemp blend yarn

Our process is currently in TRL 4. The technology has been widely validated in the project funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation "OBTAINING AND ENNOBLING OF HEMP FOR TEXTILE SUBSTRATES" (Project: MAT2016-79352-R). It is expected to reach TRL6 level, which means that technology must be demonstrated at an industrial level.