Hemp for Building Materials
Hemp fiber and pulp can be used for making a vast amount of building materials including plaster, insulation, stucco, mortar, cement, steel, fiberboard, and other sustainable building materials.
These materials can be used in cabinetry, furniture, carpentry, and other woodworking applications. One acre of industrial hemp produces as much cellulose fiber pulp as 4.1 acres of trees, making it an incredible biomass to replace trees for pressed board, particle board, and concrete construction molds.
Hemp for Concrete – Hemp hurds mixed with lime petrifies into a mineral state that lasts for centuries. This concrete-like material is a sustainable alternative to conventional concrete, as it is fireproof, self-insulating, weather resistant, pest resistant, and waterproof.
Hempcrete is said to be seven times stronger than concrete and much more elastic, while only being half the weight.
Hempcrete also offers important environmental benefits such as improving indoor air quality and drastically reducing carbon emissions. While conventional concrete is responsible for releasing almost 50% of the UK’s carbon emissions, hempcrete actually removes carbon dioxide from the air and traps it within the walls. Studies show it locks up around 110 kilograms of carbon dioxide per m3,
Hemp for Fiberboard – Medium density fiber (MDF) is a cellulosic composite comparable in strength to the wood of trees. It is used for building, cabinetry, furniture, and other carpentry and woodworking applications.
When tested, prototype hemp MDF boards surpassed their tree-based counterparts, making them two-and-a-half times stronger than wood composite board and three times more flexible. Hemp composite boards can be used for a wide variety of things such as housing beams to salad bowls.
Hemp for Plastic – Hemp offers a natural fiber composite that can replace oil-based raw materials in making different types of plastics we use today.
Hemp plastic is biodegradable, recyclable, and flame-retardant. It is recognized for its competitive properties in stiffness and high heat tolerance. Durable hemp plastic serves as an alternative for a wide range of industrial plastics, from injection moulds in car parts to ecological packing materials for food wrapping and plastic bottles.
Hemp seed oil can be made into anything with an oil base, including paint and varnish. These products are also Earth-friendly and biodegradable.
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