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Abstract:
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Industrial hemp offers a totally renewable, alternative source for cellulosic fiber.
Hemp is not just an alternative; it is an environmentally-friendly alternative. Hemp has
tremendous potential to be grown organically and could provide an excellent rotation
for traditional crops to avert outbreaks of insect and disease and to suppress weeds.
The fiber currently occupies a small niche market, but interest is growing.
Two types of hemp were studied in this research: a chemically refined hemp from
China and a mechanically refined hemp from Europe. The fibers were processed on
traditional cotton equipment with minor process modifications. The primary focus of
this work was to determine the impact of rotor spinning process variables on yarn
quality for 100 % chemically refined hemp fiber. The spinning variables investigated
included rotor diameter, nozzle type, and opening roller type and speed. Rotor yarn
properties for seven hemp/cotton blends and a flax/cotton blend were also examined.
Results from this experimental research indicated that use of larger rotors and
higher opening roller speeds improved hemp yarn quality. Data from the blend study
suggested that the chemically refined hemp fiber produced better quality yarns than the
mechanically refined fiber, and that increasing cotton content significantly improved
yarn quality. Special consideration should be given to dust control and worker
protection when processing hemp fiber. High dust levels were noted during this
research, and like cotton, the fiber has been associated with byssinosis.
Hemp is not a miracle fiber but is nonetheless valuable and warrants further study.
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