Hemp fiber research includes research using hemp in automobiles, building materials and bioplastics. The lightweight composition makes it an excellent natural alternative material.

Hemp hurd or hemp bast fiber are mostly used to manufacture materials for finished products. Like most natural agricultural fibers, more research is needed to understand the composition and maintain consistency in production. 

Visit our Hemp & Environment page to learn about the environmental impact of these materials.

Hemp Automotive Applications

Holbery, James, and Dan Houston. “Natural-fiber-reinforced polymer composites in automotive applications.” Jom 58.11 (2006): 80-86.

Karus, Michael, and Markus Kaup. “Natural fibres in the European automotive industry.” Journal of Industrial Hemp 7.1 (2002): 119-131.

Panthapulakkal, Suhara, and Mohini Sain. “Injection‐molded short hemp fiber/glass fiber‐reinforced polypropylene hybrid composites—Mechanical, water absorption and thermal properties.” Journal of Applied Polymer Science 103.4 (2007): 2432-2441.

Wötzel, K., R. Wirth, and M. Flake. “Life cycle studies on hemp fibre reinforced components and ABS for automotive parts.” Die Angewandte Makromolekulare Chemie 272.1 (1999): 121-127.

Hemp Bioplastics

Mohanty, A. K., et al. “Injection molded biocomposites from soy protein based bioplastic and short industrial hemp fiber.” Journal of Polymers and the Environment 13.3 (2005): 279-285.

Wibowo, Arief C., et al. “Chopped industrial hemp fiber reinforced cellulosic plastic biocomposites: thermomechanical and morphological properties.” Industrial & engineering chemistry research 43.16 (2004): 4883-4888.

Wretfors, Christer, et al. “Effects of fiber blending and diamines on wheat gluten materials reinforced with hemp fiber.” Journal of materials science 45.15 (2010): 4196-4205.

Wretfors, Christer, et al. “Use of industrial hemp fibers to reinforce wheat gluten plastics.” Journal of Polymers and the Environment 17.4 (2009): 259-266.

Hemp Building Materials

Arnaud, Laurent, and Etienne Gourlay. “Experimental study of parameters influencing mechanical properties of hemp concretes.” Construction and building materials 28.1 (2012): 50-56.

Awwad, Elie, et al. “Sustainable construction material using hemp fibers–preliminary study.” Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies. Ancona, Italy: Università Politecnica delle. 2010.

Bevan, Rachel, et al. Hemp lime construction: a guide to building with hemp lime composites. BRE Press, 2008.

de Bruijn, Paulien Brigitte, et al. “Mechanical properties of lime–hemp concrete containing shives and fibres.” Biosystems Engineering 103.4 (2009): 474-479.

Colinart, T., Patrick Glouannec, and P. Chauvelon. “Influence of the setting process and the formulation on the drying of hemp concrete.” Construction and Building materials 30 (2012): 372-380.

Collet, Florence, et al. “Porous structure and water vapour sorption of hemp-based materials.” Construction and building materials 22.6 (2008): 1271-1280.

Naughton, Alexander, Mizi Fan, and Julie Bregulla. “Fire resistance characterisation of hemp fibre reinforced polyester composites for use in the construction industry.” Composites Part B: Engineering 60 (2014): 546-554.

Theis, M., and B. Grohe. “Biodegradable lightweight construction boards based on tannin/hexamine bonded hemp shaves.” Holz als Roh-und Werkstoff 60.4 (2002): 291-296.

Shea, Andy, Mike Lawrence, and Pete Walker. “Hygrothermal performance of an experimental hemp–lime building.” Construction and Building Materials 36 (2012): 270-275.

Walker, Peter. “Growing your own building: Developments in straw and hemp construction.” Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Non-Conventional Materials and Technologies (NOCMAT). University of Bath, 2008.