Scottish Researchers Develop Eco Friendly Hemp Foams

Scientists at Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) are working to create eco-friendly hemp-based foam that can be used in seat cushions, mattresses and packaging. SRUC hopes the plant-based foam they are creating will be a viable alternative to polyurethane, which is commonly used as a shock absorber in upholstered furniture, car seats and mattresses.

On the pages of the specialized electronic edition of national cannabis growers, more than once the attention of our dear readers and listeners has been focused on the fact that in economically developed countries of the world, scientists or enthusiasts are exploring the possibilities of using hemp raw materials to create sustainable alternatives to environmentally hazardous industrial products. This trend also applies to the modern construction market, which in the past few years has been replenished with exclusive building materials, as well as technologies based on the mechanical, physical or therapeutic properties of the hemp plant. Given the constant interest of our audience in materials related to new developments, including in the field of hemp construction, they will be interested in information about the development of a unique construction technology, implemented by a specialized educational institution in Scotland. 

Scientists at Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) are working to create eco-friendly hemp-based foam that can be used in seat cushions, mattresses and packaging. SRUC hopes the plant-based foam they are creating will be a viable alternative to polyurethane, which is commonly used as a shock absorber in upholstered furniture, car seats and mattresses. 

In particular, according to Vijay Kumar Thakura, Professor at the SRUC Department of New Biomass Products, “The potential for development is enormous, and if we want to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050, these kinds of initiatives are invaluable. The world market for polyurethane alone is in the order of $ 19.3 billion, and there is no reason why hemp cannot replace it. "

In their experiments, researchers from Scotland have found that modern furniture upholstery releases volatile organic compounds that cause headaches, allergies and cancer. Yet despite these serious health concerns, the vast majority of all furniture products sold worldwide contain a variety of “petrochemical” foam options.  

In turn, industrial crops of technical hemp are grown without the use of chemicals and have no negative health effects. The plant can be cultivated without the use of toxic pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers, and it also requires less water to grow hemp than traditional crops such as cotton or corn. Although most of the polyurethane production is concentrated in China, the plants used to make environmentally friendly foam are already grown in Scotland, and the creation of production chains, which are based on technologies developed by SRUC, is an extremely promising direction not only in the field of modern construction, but also from the point of view of view of filling the local budget. 

 According to Kyle Esplin, Chairman of the Scottish Cannabis Growers Association, “Hemp is definitely the plant of the future. In Scotland, the plant can be used in dozens of production processes, but one of the most interesting and promising uses for hemp is the use of hemp raw materials for the manufacture of biocomposite or building materials. The country needs capacity for processing hemp raw materials, and I hope that funding for this will be found in the next few years. "

Commentary of the specialists of the Association "Ukrainian technical hemp"

It should be noted that polyurethane foam is one of the main sources of environmental pollution, and also poses a danger to the health of people and pets. In particular, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the average polyurethane plant emits 7.3 tons of hydrochloric acid and hydrogen cyanide into the Earth's atmosphere annually. Within the framework of the round table " Hemp raw materials - technologies of its use in construction, production of biocomposite materials and furniture " held for the students of the " Hemp University ", technologies used both in our country and in the world, or materials used in the modern hemp construction industry, have already been described. In the course of the next training course for students of the Hemp University , a specialized round table will be held, within which the main emphasis will be placed on “Prospects, as well as the possibilities of using the therapeutic properties of non-traditional phytocannabinoids for the market”. In addition, the audience will be explained the mechanism according to which the citizens of our country can absolutely legally grow hemp plants with tremendous therapeutic properties on their personal plots.