VALSUCANEM: New green composite materials from the valorisation of hemp by-products

The VALSUCANEM circular economy project, in which the Advanced Centre of Mechanical Technologies (CATMech) at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) has participated, has enabled research into the valorisation of hemp-fiber with the aim of developing an advanced material that can be applied in the construction sector.

A hemp by-product is the short fibre of hemp and is considered a waste material. Within the framework of VALSUCANEM, the feasibility of using this by-product in five different building applications has been studied: thermal and acoustic insulation, chipboard, coffer, and parquet.

The technological challenges of the project have been:

1. The creation of a new green material: achieving a green resin or binding material that can form a composite material compatible with hemp-fiber and can be recycled so that the production and life cycle do not generate non-reusable by-products.
2. Achieving properties of durability, resistance, stability, and workability that allow the development of solutions for the construction sector such as interior or exterior paving, cladding, urban furniture, etc.
3. Developing a proof of concept.

The most promising result has been the thermal and acoustic insulating material made from 70% hemp-fiber and 30% recycled cardboard fibre, achieving insulation performance similar to other existing commercial materials. With the data obtained, the plan is to add a vegetable coating, such as gum arabic or rosin, to protect the material from the environment and citric acid to improve durability and moisture resistance. This new material underwent a 12-month durability process, during which no degradation of its properties was observed. The life cycle analysis of the material indicates that with efficient industrial manufacturing, a material with negative CO₂ emissions could be achieved.

In the energy and resources sector, the project has succeeded in increasing the value of hemp cultivation by reducing waste (by up to 15%) and extending the useful life of hemp-fiber by giving it a high value-added use. It also provides a solution for the extensive use of wood and other synthetic materials currently in use. In the case of wood, although it is a natural product, its growth is very slow (years) compared to the 4 months it takes for hemp to grow, and it also involves significant resource consumption in transportation and logging. Additionally, hemp cultivation requires very few resources and helps to sequester CO₂ from the atmosphere.

The VALSUCANEM project has been carried out in collaboration with the company Lloveras Planteles SL. Achieving the set objectives will help consolidate the company within the agri-food sector and enable it to begin research and development into enabling technologies, as well as expanding its business lines into the commercialisation of hemp waste solutions (not just seedling sales).

Budget and funding

The project has a duration of 3 years (November 2020 - November 2023) and has been allocated a budget of €98,179.24, thanks to a grant from ACCIÓ, the Agency for Business Competitiveness.