Microdecortication and densification of hemp fiber manufacturing and its application in polymer composites

Fuente: WIPO "industrial hemp"
Disclosed are methods for the direct production of short fibers using microdecortication processes and the production of densified particles and short fiber products, sourced from hemp or other bast plants, hemp fiber products, methods for the production of hemp fiber-reinforced polymeric materials, and the polymeric materials resulting therefrom. An embodiment of the method for the production of densified hemp fiber products involves microdecortication with the utilization of particle size reduction equipment to cut all or a portion of hemp stalk, bast fiber, and hurd to produce short fibers and particles. Some embodiments make use of microdecortication to cut whole hemp stalk directly into short hemp fiber. Equipment with cutting action may provide for more adequate control of fiber size and aspect ratio while using the whole hemp stalk to produce short fibers, as opposed to the production of short hemp fibers by cutting long hemp fibers originating from decortication.