UK company reaps benefits of hemp revival
27/06/2023
Tatham director Tim Porritt said: “We are fielding a lot of enquiries for technologies for the decortication, fibre opening and fabric forming of hemp.
“This is being driven by the sustainability of the fibre and concerns over climate change as brands seek solutions to meet their sustainability goals. As a result, there has been an explosion in the interest in hemp production, from farmers through to fibre production, and a wide range of new potential end-uses are being explored.”
Tatham decortication lines take care of both the shiv and the fibre and for each 1,000kg of stalk there is a maximum potential yield of 300kg of fibre and 600kg of shiv.
“The main challenge facing hemp processors is in the harvesting/retting process which is critical to producing a good quality fibre, but hemp production also provides significant benefit in agriculture, improving soil health and enabling nutrient cycling via crop rotation. It also sequesters carbon dioxide from the atmosphere for carbon negative production,” added Mr Porritt.
Tatham is a member of the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA), which had 30 members at the show in Milan this month. BTMA CEO Jason Kent said: “Sustainability, circularity and Industry 4.0 have been the primary themes coming from the market for some time now and our members have responded with innovations spanning the entire supply chain – from fibres to finishing – and with a specific emphasis in many cases on improved software and digitised control solutions.”
Image: Tatham director Tim Porritt
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