Ultra High Performance Hemp-based Composites for the Construction Industry

The main novelty of this project for UK's manufacturing industry of bio-composites is to optimise the feedstock (hemp shive) considering environmental and economic feasibilities. The second goal that the project addresses is to enhance the surface morphology at the interface to maximise load-bearing capacity of bonded joints, and to improve the deformational characteristics of bio-composites for structural components. The project’s pre-treatment protocol focuses on the removal of non-cellulosic constituents from the surface (i.e. impurities, hydrophobic extractives and waxes) and expansion of microstructure (i.e. swollen cell walls), to improve the surface wettability, increase the roughness, and create micro and/or nano sites for efficient/deeper penetration of the binder into the cell walls.