HEMPQUAL

Who the project is aimed at

Professionals in the textile, agricultural and circular bioeconomy sectors, as well as companies and institutions interested in sustainability, the reuse of plant waste and reducing the use of synthetic fibres in textile products.

Project objective

To obtain natural textile fibres from fibrous waste generated by industrial hemp, with the aim of increasing the use of cellulosic fibres in fabrics and reducing the proportion of synthetic fibres in the textile sector. The solution developed as a result of this research project would make it possible to manufacture yarns from a blend of hemp fibres and other fibres (cotton, lyocell,...) using a combination of mechanical, chemical and enzymatic processes that are individually well known, but whose combination makes it possible to exploit them and obtain yarns of very acceptable quality for a wide range of applications.

The aim is to scale up this technology to pilot and industrial levels, explore its patentability and promote its transfer to the textile sector, thereby fostering the circular economy and reducing the environmental impact of textiles.

Project description

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, provided that the product returns to the earth as a non-toxic ‘biological nutrient’ or returns to industry as a ‘technical nutrient’ that can be recycled again and again”. Under this concept, the need to valorise plant-based agricultural or industrial by-products for applications that can increase the value of crop residues has become a key aspect in developing this new economy based on the C2C concept. Since many agricultural residues are fibrous lignocellulosic materials with a significant lignin content, obtaining textile fibres from these residues is essential.

This technology, specifically applied to by-products, is not currently available on the market. However, there is a need, both in agriculture and across major industrial sectors, to promote the comprehensive use of hemp because of its benefits in terms of oils, food products, and more. This will generate a certain amount of fibrous waste that can be exploited to help reduce the growing use of polyester in clothing. In fact, this increase is due to the fact that cotton production cannot keep pace with the growing demand for natural fibres (image on the right). It is therefore important to increase the proportion of natural fibres by using alternative sources of organic material. In addition, hemp cultivation requires virtually no chemical inputs and consumes less water than other crops.

Impact

Project funded by the Agency for the Management of University and Research Grants