Hemp silage presents an alternative raw material for industrial processing towards the traditionally produced hemp straw. The agricultural production of hemp silage offers the advantage of harvest independency from weather conditions and guarantees a constant quality of raw material. In combination with the mechanical decomposition of the stem through the field chopper during harvesting, the fermentation of carbohydrates to lactic acid leads to an effective exposure of the bast fibres from the surrounding plant tissues in ensiled hemp. By means of a comparatively simple technique the fibres can be sieved out and, after drying, be mechanically processed to a high degree of fineness. In addition to the use in composites, the material may find applications in the pulp- and the building material industry. As an alternative to the separate use of bast fibres and woody parts, the complete plant mass together with native starch can be processed to composites of high solidity. The lactic acid attached to the hemp fraction fulfils the function of a contact optimization between hemp and starch. Composites on a hemp silage basis show a wide spectrum of utilization through variably adjustable material fractions and -densities. Sales markets could be the packaging industry such as polystyrene replacement, the furniture and chipboard markets in addition to others.
