• Hemp Fiber / Hemp Fibre / Hemp Wood Synonyms:

hemp fibre, hemp fiber, hemp wood, chopped hemp, bast fiber, bast fibre, short fiber hemp, short fibre hemp, long fiber hemp, long fibre hemp, ultra clean grade fiber, ultra clean grade fibre, composite grade fiber, composite grade fibre, general purpose grade fiber, general purpose grade fibre, core fiber, core fibre, 

• Hemp Fiber / Hemp Fibre / Hemp Wood, Chopped Designations:

Chemical Name: Hemp

• Hemp Fiber / Hemp Fibre / Hemp Wood, Chopped Description:

a) Hemp is an annual herbaceous plant of the species Cannabis sativa, meaning "useful hemp." It is a high yield commercial fiber crop which flourishes in areas with temperate climates. Hemp grows successfully at a density of at least 150 plants per square meter, and reaches a height of two to five meters in a three month growing season. Every part of the plant can be used commercially.

b) The stalk of the hemp plant is harvested for its fibers. The fiber length and the content of cellulose and lignin are important quality parameters for raw material used in the cordage, textile, paper and fiberboard industries. Hemp plants yield three different types of fiber.

c) Bast Fibers: Hemp has traditionally been grown for its valuable and versatile high quality (primary bast) fibers. The production of these fibers has traditionally been a very labor intensive process. After harvesting, the hemp stalks are soaked with water to initiate a process of retting (the decompositional separation of the bark-like bast fibers from the inner woody core). After the retting process, the plants are dried and then the fibre must be separated from the hurds, shaken out, and cleaned.

d) Recently, alternative fibre separation processes have been developed, using technologies such as ultrasound and steam explosion, which are much less labor intensive. Once separated, the bast fibers are ready for spinning and weaving into textiles, or for pulping into high quality pulp. Because of their high tensile strength, bast fibers are ideal for such specialized paper products as: tea bags, industrial filters, currency paper, or cigarette paper.

e) Hemp possess all the characteristics specific to plant fibres: flexibility, low abrasiveness, and low density. What is more, the quantitative and qualitative homogeneity of flax and hemp fibres can be guaranteed thanks to the possibility of assembling the fibres from one harvest to the next. Flax and hemp are increasingly being used to reinforce PVC, PE and PP polymers, replacing certain synthetic fibres.

f) The mechanical properties of hemp fibres are comparable to those of glass fibre, due to their high degree
of specific rigidity. Thanks to the low density of natural fibres as compared to traditional reinforcement fibres, composite materials including flax and hemp are proving valuable in all applications where lightness is a decisive factor. Flax and hemp both enable the production of complex shapes via injection or extrusion processes. What is more, flax offers optimised vibration absorption.

• Hemp Fiber / Hemp Fibre / Hemp Wood, Chopped Typical Chemical Properties Available:

a) Hemp is an annual plant that grows from seed.

b) Comment: READE makes a "best efforts" basis to offer only industrial grade Hemp that complies with the official Health Canada Protocol of a THC detection limit of 4 ppm or less.

• Hemp Fiber / Hemp Fibre / Hemp Wood Chopped Physical Grades Available:

a) Hemp wood

b) Short fiber

c) Long fiber

• Primary hemp fiber comes in the following grades:

a) Ultra Clean Grade Fiber:

*99.9% clean of core fiber

*Dust extracted

*Available in staples lengths between 1/2" to 6" and sliver.

*Well opened with a typical staple denier of between 15 to 65

*Applications include: nonwovens, composites, textiles, any where that a very clean well opened fiber with uniform staple length is needed.

b) Composite Grade Fiber:

*96 - 99% clean of core fiber

*Dust extracted

*Available in staples lengths between 1" to 6".

*Fairly well opened with a typical staple denier of between 50 to 125

*Applications include: a range of composites such as automotive, furniture and construction; nonwovens; insulation.

c) General Purpose Grade Fiber:

*50 - 75% clean of core fibre

*Staple lengths vary between 1" to 6". Can be modified according to your requirements

*Applications include: fibre for hydro mulch; cement and plaster filler; insulation; geo-matting.

d) Core fiber:

*Applications include: For animal bedding and garden mulch, under the Hemp Chips (tm) brand, is available in 3.2 cu. ft. (90 L) compressed bags through retail outlets and direct-to-stable in truckload quantities.

• Hemp Fiber / Hemp Fibre / Hemp Wood, Chopped Typical Applications:

a) Energy source (whole plant)
b) Building material (bast, core or whole plant)
c) Paper (bast, core or whole plant)
d) Textiles (bast)
e) Oil (seed)
f)  Plastics filler
g) Animal bedding
h) Automobile parts
i)  Fiberglass alternative

j) Summary Comment: The R&D efforts of the hemp industry as a whole are guiding research towards materials that guarantee environmental protection through to the end of the life cycle. The development of hemp fibre applications in thermoplastic and thermoset composites can be explained not only by a more environmentally-conscious approach on the part of the industry, but also on account of the intrinsic performance of plant fibres.

• Hemp Fiber / Hemp Fibre / Hemp Wood, Chopped Packaging:

a) The fiber is available in 40ft. and 20 ft. containers, truckloads or by the bale and shipped internationally. For further information on packaging options Contact READE.

b) It can be packaged to the customer's specification.

• Hemp Fiber / Hemp Fibre / Hemp Wood, Chopped TSCA (SARA Title III) Status:

Not listed. For further information please call the E.P.A. at +1.202.554.1404