New funds for hemp fibre innovator
Renaissance Fiber has announced it has secured $2.239 million in a combination of financing and low interest loans to complete and operate its first commercial-scale hemp fibre processing facility in Mocksville, North Carolina. Construction of the facility is underway and could be completed before the end of this year, with operations beginning after commissioning and optimisation. Initial capacity is expected to be 600 lb/hr of refined fibre, the company told Sportstextiles, this equates to approximately 3,000 kg/day. The raw fibre is sourced from US growers.
The company has developed a two-step hemp fibre refining process. The raw fibre is degummed and then refined for spinning on cotton or wool spinning machinery. “Degumming removes the lignins and gums that make raw hemp coarse, using a clean process with no caustics or peroxides, and refining is mechanical to keep fibre length while reaching the fineness mills need. The fibre blends into cotton and wool system yarns and runs on existing spinning equipment, so mills don’t need to retool,” said CEO Daniel Yohannes.
Renaissance Fiber said its facility fills a gap in the local textile manufacturing value chain. “America does not need to rebuild its textile industry from scratch. The farmers, mills, technical expertise and manufacturing equipment are already here. The missing link has been the infrastructure required to turn domestically grown hemp into a consistent, commercially viable textile input. That is the gap Renaissance Fiber is building to fill.”
The company intends to focus first on top and bottom weight fabrics, including denim. “Based on our pilot testing, our fibre is longer and finer than other degummed hemp we’ve tested. We’re focused on spinning yarn in CAFTA countries and shipping globally. Other target applications include linens, apparel, performance fabrics and defence,” he said.
Photo courtesy of Renaissance Fiber
