Hemp Fiber

The long stalks of Cannabis Sativa offer a few byproducts, including both bast fiber and a woody inner hurd.

The bast fiber acts as an outer bark layer of the stalk. The long fibers have properties in strength that get it compared to steel. The hurd is ground, chopped or milled into the size specification for the application.

With a lack of a domestic textile industry, the early markets involved building and manufacturing. The US Hemp Building Association is making inroads to certification for hemp-lime (hempcrete) as a building material. iHemp Manufacturing introduced the Hemp Fiber Flyer, an ultimate style 175 gram Frisbee made with 25% hemp fiber.

More homes are being built with hemp around the US. While standards have not been established, the conventional logic is to use consistently sized hemp hurd of between 1/4″ to 1″ in length with less than 10% bast fiber. Mix the hurd with lime and water and tamp into a form and let cure for twelve weeks. Specific binders are available. Some use native clay in the mix. There is both art and science involved but the result is a limestone like wall between the studs or post and beam construction to create a structure that is fire resistant, manages moisture well and provides about 4 R value of insulation per inch.