Physical Properties of Traditional Thai Hemp Fiber (Cannabis sativa L.)

Abstract

ABSTRACT Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) from a traditional Thai variety was used as a source of fiber in this research. The variety has been grown for a long time by the Hmong, a hill tribe, for the purpose of textiles. Hemp was grown in Chiang Mai, in the North of Thailand. Fiber fineness, fiber strength, fiber length, and lignin content of bast fibers from the top, middle, and bottom part of hemp stems aged 65 and 120 days were measured after chemical separation. The results showed that the finest fiber was from the top of the stem. The fiber fineness determined from the airflow method varied from 14.2 to 27.0 FBAI200, and according to the OFDA method it varied from 14.1 to 19.1 μm. The highest strength fiber was from the middle part of the stem; fiber strength (Stelometer – collective test) varied from 10.9 to 27.4 cN/tex. Fiber length varied from 22.0 to 28.4 mm. At the early stages of male pollination, male plants had a lower lignin content than female plants. The measurement method, age of plant, and part of stem analyzed affected fiber properties. This traditional Thai hemp showed fine fiber and can be improved to a commercial level for the textile industry.