Hemp Paper: cellulose and lignin percentage

Hemp for the paper industry in a circular economy, the organic percentage of lignin and cellulose: a hemp paperboard can be used seven times more than a standard one

Current uses of hemp paper: paperboard, packaging, logistics, recyclable materials

The first use of hemp fiber in the paper industry is intended to meet the demand for logistics packaging. Logistics operations have grown since the pandemic, already arriving from a fast-growing trend. Today we face a strong request for recyclable packaging materials.
In this context, hemp fiber finds its greatest potential. A paperboard made from wood fiber can be recycled an average of three times; a paperboard made from hemp fiber can be recycled up to seven times.
It should also be kept in mind that while long hemp fiber-which is characterized by more complex processing – is required for the textile industry. Short fiber is used for paper production.

The environmental benefits of hemp paper: lignin and cellulose – composition, percentage

Paper is made with cellulose. Hemp fibers are composed of 70 percent cellulose while wood from trees, for comparison, stops around 40 to 50 percent. The equation is simple: more cellulose results in the production of more paper.
Lignin is a complex polymer: its function is to bind the organic substances in plants, to make them stronger and more robust. To make paper, lignin must be dissolved. Hemp fibers contain about three percent of lignin, compared to twenty percent in trees. Processes to remove it from pulp useful for papermaking require chemicals.

The color of hemp paper: the yellow shade is given by lignin

The presence of lignin increases the possibility of the paper turning yellow. Chemical compounds are used to bleach paper. While it is true that-at least in Europe-increasingly cleaner technologies have now been developed to overcome these issues, using hemp directly allows for quicker production processes.
This is not to say that with hemp fiber you get a white product right away: the shade is usually closer to a cream color. It is sufficient to treat it with hydrogen peroxide-the common hydrogen peroxide-and not with other more aggressive substances.

Hemp paper: cellulose, lignin, cross-linked structure

From the fiber source it will then be necessary to succeed in obtaining the so-called hemp pulp, separating the cellulose from lignin and other residual substances. Pulp must be diluted in water before it is passed over usually cross-linked structures. This is followed by the ponitura stage, which is necessary to remove the initial moisture. The drying stage precedes the creation of the actual sheets of paper.

Editorial team