Processability of Hemp-Polymer Composites

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There are increasing concerns about the environmental impacts of plastics, ranging from production (mostplastics are made using components from crude oil) to end-of-life (only a limited fraction of plastics arerecycled; many end up in landfills or the environment). One strategy to reduce the amount of plastics is tointroduce a bio-based filler - such as unused portions of plant crops - into these materials. The hemp plant iscomprised of valuable seeds, flowers, and leaves, as well as the stalk, which is much lower in value. Thepurpose of this work is to develop blends of plastics and hemp hurds (taken from the stalk), and to characterizethe suitability of these materials for use in typical plastic processing methods.Hemp is becoming of increasing economic importance to Alberta. The number of hemp crops has increasedsubstantially over past 8 years. Hemp is considered a 'rapidly renewing' biomass (second to bamboo). Albertaproduces around 1/3 of hemp in Canada. Products include hemp grain for seed and oil, as well asnutriceuticals. The stalk is as an underutilized portion of the plant. In this project, researchers at the Universityof Alberta will partner with Alberta Hemp Works Ltd to develop new applications for portions of the hempplant that are often discarded through incorporation of these materials in hemp-polymer composites. Thepotential impact of this work includes: (1) finding new use for low value hemp-based materials, (2) reducingthe amount of plastics that must be imported to Canada for applications in agriculture and packaging, and (3)reducing the amount of plastic waste in landfills.