hemp is one of the oldest examples of textiles ever found, and has been dated back to 8000 BC. it has a low percentage elongation making it very tough and durable. hemp has the best ratio of heat capacity of all fibers giving it superior insulation properties, it naturally 'breathes' and is fully biodegradble. it also grows much quicker than any tree and can be harvested quite young, making it more sustainable than most other fibres, second only to bamboo. the bark of the hemp stalk contains bast fibers, which are one of the longest natural soft fibers and are also rich in cellulose. the cellulose and hemi-cellulose in its inner woody core are called hurds. it has a low lignin content which reduces the need for acids used in pulping, and its creamy color lends itself to environmentally-friendly bleaching instead of harsh chlorine compounds.
according to the department of energy, hemp is an excellent biomass fuel producer and the hydrocarbons in hemp can be processed into a wide range of biomass energy sources, from fuel pellets to liquid fuels and gas. it is grown without the use of herbicides, fungicides or pesticides and naturally repels the growth of weeds.
hemp fabrics are longer, stronger, more absorbent, more mildew-resistant, and more insulative than cotton. keeping you warmer in winter and cooler in summer, it also has high repellence to ultraviolet rays. the nature of hemp fibers makes them more absorbent to dyes, which coupled with hemp's ability to better screen out ultraviolet rays, means that hemp material is less prone to fading. in it's natural form it is completely colourless.
researching from http://organicclothing.blogs.com/my_weblog/2005/12/hemp_facts_on_t.html has given me so many reasons why hemp is a fantastic fibre, i have outlined those that are relevant to my project here but there are a multitude of other good uses and reasons to use hemp.
