Various industrial uses of hemp.
Hemp has experienced a renaissance in industrial use and may become increasingly important even for the technology sector. Raw materials, with their impressive properties, are playing a decisive role in an increasing number of areas and show promising potential for new areas of application.
Nowadays, many people come across hemp in the form of various natural products such as nutritional supplements, textiles, as well as in cosmetics or as a building material, and seals for water compounds have always unknowingly been made from hemp fibers in a large number of households. However, there are areas where at first glance it is not necessary to assume that it is hemp.
The fact that the varied uses of cannabis are not wishful thinking for a minority is also borne out by evaluations by professional companies that specialize in industry-specific analysis. One of them is New Frontier Data, a company that primarily closely follows the development of the cannabis industry.
With over 20 years of experience in finance, business analysis, industry reporting and emerging markets, New Frontier Data has been providing interesting data for some time on how hemp has become one of the most widely used natural resources in the world as a sustainable, sustainable clean and inexpensive plant. Many important applications show how important hemp is to the industry.
Hemp in the automotive industry.
The automotive industry is one of the most powerful in the world with incredible influence. When German car manufacturer BMW unveiled the electric i3 in 2013, it became clear that the idea of sustainability also wanted to be carried over into the car’s interior. A blend of hemp fibers was used to make the parts, making the i3 360 kg lighter than competing models.
Car manufacturer Renew Sports Cars goes even further and also uses hemp fibers to make body parts. The result is the same: dramatic weight loss. At the same time, processed hemp fibers are very stable and, for example, stupidly break off in an accident.
Hemp supercapacitors.
Actually, supercapacitors are extremely powerful energy storage devices that can provide significantly more energy in a very short time than conventional batteries or accumulators. They are used, for example, in electric vehicles.
Currently, graphene is mainly used for the production of supercapacitors. However, in 2004, researchers at Clarkson University in New York found that hemp-based supercapacitors could store almost 200% more energy. The benefits are clear. The provision of charts is extremely intense in every way. It is expensive to manufacture, consumes a lot of raw materials, and is imported from India and China. Growing hemp is environmentally friendly and can be used almost anywhere. Hemp fibers play an important role in replacing graphene and are many times cheaper.
Hemp for soil preparation.
Hemp makes the soil fertile, and once the hemp plants are grown, it can be used very well for other seeds like wheat. The so-called phytoremediation describes the restoration of contaminated soil or groundwater using plants. The toxins are absorbed through the roots and stored in the plant for excretion. Phytoremediation by growing hemp plants can be an important factor in planning and preparing fields for farming.
Industrial hemp or “medicinal hemp”?
Many people are still intimidated by the connection between industrial hemp plant and “medicinal hemp”. These are two completely different types. Industrial hemp contains the psychoactive cannabinoid THC in very low and inconspicuous concentrations (below 0.3%). However, this is not a free growing pass. In Germany, for example, industrial hemp can only be grown by “companies” in the agricultural sector.
Into a green future?
China is one step ahead in growing cannabis. China produces 44,000 tons of cannabis annually, according to a High Times article, which is nearly 40% of global demand. In South America, most of the industrial hemp comes from Chile; in Europe, France seems to be the most active producer.
In addition, the country recently announced that it wants to dominate the technology market in industrial robots, software and electromobility. Returning to the supercapacitor example: the combination of hemp and technology could create sustainable energy sources that, for example, would make computers a lottimes faster. Graphene semiconductors have this potential, but are still expensive to manufacture.
When it comes to growing cannabis, China has quietly become a superpower. According to experts, in the next few years the market will grow to 100 billion yen (approximately 790 million euros). In regions with a fallow land, growing cannabis could restore fertile soil. In addition, hemp fibers can already be found in the automotive and textile industries or as a building material. Without a doubt, hemp can revolutionize the economic importance of entire nations.