FABRIC TALK: HEMP

WHAT

Hemp, sometimes called cannabis hemp, grows very rapidly and its productivity is far superior to other natural fibers. Hemp is environmental friendly material, grown without the use of any pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

HOW

In order to create fabric, it is necessary to extract fibers from the hemp plant and therefore water is used. The problem that rises is that the water gets polluted, but it depends upon the production method that is being used. The most often practiced method is the ‘steam-explosion’ where the fiber and the woody core are broken apart by a blast of steam. 

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Disadvantage of the steam-explosion is that it shortens the fiber’s staple length as a result that the fabric becomes weaker, although the process makes it easier to use the most common cotton spinning system. Advantages of this material are that it is sustainable, safe for farm workers and the local population. Besides all this, growing hemp also helps to clear the land for other crops. 

CHARACTERISTICS

Good absorbency
Long life-cycle

photocredit: Afends