Hemp plastic is a composite material made of hemp fibre,[1] which can be used to replace oil-based raw materials. Hemp Plastic was designed in Europe over 15 years, and is now primarily produced in China.[2] However, hemp plastic was invented much earlier, since even Henry Ford designed and then produced a hemp plastic car in 1940. The hemp plastic material was said to be "ten times stronger than steel". [3]
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Hemp is a soft, durable fibre that made from plants of the Cannabis genus, cultivated for commercial use.[4] In modern times, hemp has been used for industrial purposes including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food, fuel, and medical purposes with modest commercial success. In the past three years, commercial success of hemp food products has grown considerably.
For a crop, hemp is very environmentally friendly (with the exception of chemical fertilizers used in industrial agriculture) as it requires few pesticides and no herbicides. Modern research data on soil fertility is limited. Currently, results indicate that high yield of hemp may require total nutrient levels (field plus fertilizer nutrients) similar to a high yielding wheat crop.
The world leading producer of hemp is China with smaller production in Europe, Chile and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. While more hemp is exported to the United States than to any other country, the United States Government does not consistently distinguish between marijuana and the non-psychoactive Cannabis used for industrial and commercial purposes
Hemp Plastic is known to compete with most engineering compounds in certain properties, such as stiffness and high heat tolerance. It is also biodegradable and recyclable. Unlike other plastics, it is also flame retardant for specific grades. Hemp Plastic can substitute some products including:
Injection moulded plastic is the most commonly used material from hemp. It is produced in VL94, FR VO and V2 grades, and can provide an ecological solution for most applications that require a material of good strength and high performance. Most often blended with biodegradable PLA, PP (up to 80%) and PHB. Common uses of injection moulded hemp plastic are cosmetic containers, bottle caps, toys, audio/video, car parts and much more in the E&E Industry.
Hemp can also be used for biodegradable and ecological packaging materials for food wrapping, plastic bags, water bottles etc. Most films and packaging are made using extrusion. It can not be currently used to produce transparent materials, such as cling film.
As the name suggests, this plastic is made from 100% hemp. It requires very specific machinery to produce, and is usually more expensive than injection moulded hemp.
In the 1910s, Henry Ford tried experimenting with using agricultural products in the manufacture of his automobiles, encouraged by 3 main factors; trying to find a use for the huge food surplus at the time, trying to find an alternative to using metal which was in shortage at the time, and he also said that the plastic body was safer that a steel body, and that it would be difficult for it to be crushed.[6]
He initially hired a member of the Ford Styling Department, Eugene "Bob" Gregorie;[7] however Ford was not fully satisfied with his work, so the task was given to the Soybean Laboratory in Greenfield Village.[6] He was also helped by a chemist, Robert A. Boyer in trying to find the perfect mixture of materials for the body.[8]
Finally, they came up with the perfect solution. The frame of the car was made of tubular steel, and had 14 plastic panels attached to it. The exact formula of the car is still unknown; however one article claims that they were made from soybean, hemp, wheat and flax, amongst other chemicals. Lowell E. Overly, another assistant in the creation of the car, claimed that it was made from a “soybean fibre in a phenolic resin with formaldehyde used in the impregnation".[6]
The car was finally unveiled by Ford on August 13, 1941 at Dearborn Days, which was an annual community festival, and it was later also shown at the Michigan State Fairgrounds.
By late 1941, the plastic car had been scrapped. The reason for this is not 100% certain, but sources say that it was because car manufacturing had stopped during World War II, and all energy was diverted to war recovery efforts. According to Lowell E. Overly, the car was destroyed by Eugene Gregorie.[6]