Page 5 - Cannabis&Hemp Industrial-Hemp-Brochure

Stalk: Textiles

The hemp stalk consists of an outer layer called the bast fiber and an inner layer of woody pith. The outer layer is
used for textiles while the inner layer is used for fuel, building materials, and animal bedding.

Examples of hemp textiles include woven and knit fabrics, non-woven fiber mats, yarns, and rope. Fabrics can be
made of 100% hemp or blended with other fibers such as cotton, flax, or silk. For example, clothing material could
be produced from a blend of 30% cotton and 70% hemp fiber. A blended product may be made softer or more
durable. There are many advantages of hemp over cotton. Cotton only grows in moderate climates and requires
more water and pesticides. One acre of hemp can produce as much fiber as up to three acres of cotton. Hemp is also
a stronger fiber and more mildew resistant.

Hemp fabrics can be used for T-shirts, dresses, hoodies, underwear, socks, other forms of apparel, as well as
household textiles such as blankets, duvets, towels, tablecloths, and upholstery. Hemp fibers are fine enough to
make fabrics with a thread count of 250-300, which is considered percale, a closely woven fine fabric used for
sheets. An early harvest will produce a softer fabric. The fabric is very breathable, has high-moisture-wicking abilities,
and low heat-retention abilities. The fabrics have a low possibility of pilling where short or broken fibers group
together because of abrasion and become tangled in a tiny knot or ball, known as a pill.

Tensile Testing
Stretchability of Fabrics
Hemp fabrics are considered to have medium stretchability or give. Any of these parameters may be
changed by blending with other fibers. Shimadzu’s full line of universal tensile testing machines is
capable of testing many conventional tests of fabrics or other materials, such as strechability, strength,
and tear resistance.

The physical properties of textiles are an interdependent result of fiber type, yarn spinning method,
and fabric construction. A universal test machine, such as the Shimadzu EZ-X, measures force and
displacement while deforming a sample. They can be configured with many different types of grips and
accessories to evaluate the myriad properties of textile products that determine their feel and function,
such as fabric stretchability, tear resistance, burst strength, seam strength, and fiber elongation.

Generally, tensile testing of fabrics occurs in two
directions: the warp (length) and the weft (width),
also referred to as the woof or fill. Shown is an
example of tensile testing of a sheet.

Analytical & Testing Solutions for Industrial Hemp 5