HEMP PULP - RAW-MATERIAL FOR THE PAPER-INDUSTRY

The production of pulp from hemp and other annual plants is known and has been thoroughly described in the literature. The rags formerly used for papermaking also contained hemp, but above all flax. It is not possible to distinguish hemp and flax fibre from one another, either with microscopic examination or by determining paper strengths. The coarse hemp papers manufactured from ropes and hawsers still contained predominantly intact fibre bundles which ga ve these products higher levels of strength than those manufactured from rags. If the hemp plant is available for pulp manufacture, if only the bast fibres are used, pulp with higher tearing resistance can be produced. However, the hemp plant only has a bast fibre content of 15 to 25%. If pulp is manufactured from hemp, together with wooden shavings, you obtain average pulp qualify with a high proportion of very fine and small fibres. Pulp mills encounter a problem with the harvest and storage of this pulp, especially if large volumes of pulp are produced, because the harvest must take place within the space of one month.