Development of a process for the production of structural components made of hemp fiber-reinforced plastic with high strength for the automotive and furniture industries with PRK GmbH Kunststoffverarbeitung, the Deutsche Institute für Textil- und Faserforschung Denkendorf and Digel Sticktech GmbH und Co. KG
In Europe, there is a large market of companies in the automotive and furniture sectors that process or trade in natural fiber-reinforced plastics (NFRP). The demand for structural components made of NFRP is growing. Hemp has been an interesting crop for centuries. It requires little fertile soil, does not require the use of pesticides, loosens the soil and also offers many recycling options.
The aim of the GreenFibers project is to develop a process for manufacturing the above-mentioned structural elements from hemp fiber-reinforced plastic.
The researchers of the project, which is funded by the Zentrales Innovationsprogramm Mittelstand (ZIM) (Central Innovation Program for SMEs (ZIM)), are working on the development of this new type of plastic using a special and gentle process to break down the hemp fibers using bacteria, which causes hardly any mechanical stress. This method of obtaining the fibers results in exactly the fiber length and yarn fineness required for further processing of the hemp fiber fabric, which is to be bonded with the plastic. This composite studied by the researchers is said to have significantly higher tensile and tear strength and twice the bending stiffness of other natural fiber-reinforced plastics.
The research in the GreenFibers project can lead to new applications for hemp fiber plastics, from cladding elements to structural elements, and thus a large market can benefit from the research results.
