SSUCHY HEMP processing: from plants to aligned fibres

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The hemp production, cultivated and harvested in 2018 in the frame of the SSUCHY project has been recently successfully processed into half-products. The plants were cultivated in Italy by the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and Linificio e Canapificio Nazionale (Figure 1). The primary processability of different varieties and different agronomic conditions (harvesting time, retting level…) (Figure 2) was evaluated on an industrial processing line belonging to Terre de Lin (France), including scutching (Figure 3-4) and hackling equipments (Figure 5). Some of the obtained half products (hackled fibres, Figure 6) were then processed into hackled slivers (Figure 7). Further characterization tests will be performed on the fibres to determine their potential as a reinforcement in composite materials.

The obtained high count slivers will be drawn either at the Linificio e Canapificio Nazionale facilities or at a small laboratory scale at the ENI of Tarbes before being transformed into 1D roving type structures suitable for weaving or breading of reinforcement textiles adapted to the needs of load bearing composite materials targeted for the different application of the SSUCHY project.

Figure 2: Stem batches prepared in view of their mechanical processing

Figure 3: Loading the aligned hemp stems in the scutching line

Figure 4: Aligned hemp fibres out of the scutching line

Figure 5: Aligned hemp fibres out of the hackling line

Figure 6: Different batches of aligned hemp fibres out of the hackling line

Figure 7: Hemp fibre high count sliver ready for further processing