THE NATURAL, FLAX AND HEMP VEGETATION FIBERS OF EUROPE : Double performance – technical and ecological

About CELC The European Confederation of Linen and Hemp (CELC) is the only agroindustrial European organization grouping together and federating all stages of production and transformation of flax & hemp. Created in 1951 and composed of 10,000 member companies from 14 countries, the CELC creates an environment favorable to the competitivity of industrial companies in an international context. It stimulates innovation based on values inscribed in sustainable development. With the Technical Uses Pole and its European Scientific Committee, the CELC helps bring its members towards new technical opportunities such as composite products and eco building. Through the Textile Pole and the MASTERS OF LINEN brand, it promotes the European linen and hemp industry in the areas of clothing and art of living. Having opened in March 2009 in Paris and in February 2010 in Milan, the Linen Dream Lab proposes its services by appointment to order-givers in the fashion, art of living and design industries : Material - accompanying project, an aid in sourcing, an area which can be made private for members.

www.linenandhempcommunity.eu

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EUROPEAN FLAX AND HEMP : FROM PLANT TO INNOVATION

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EUROPEAN FLAX AND HEMP : THE ADVANTAGES OF NATURAL, VEGETATION FIBERS With their strong double bonus –ecological and technological –flax and hemp fiber uses in thermoplastic and thermoset composites have imposed themselves in the industry. This innovation, dictated by new environmental directives, depends on both the ecological performances of the raw materials and their technical performances.

Flax and hemp’s ecological properties position these natural European fibers to be increasingly used in various, innovative sectors of the industry which are today obliged to take into account sustainable development in their production methods. Flax and hemp fibers’ mechanical properties also bring performance and competitivity to the new materials used. R&D departments, specialized technical institutes and universities now see natural vegetation fibers as an alternative solution to synthetic fibers as they develop composite materials. Today, the entire flax and hemp industry is focusing its research on a new generation of materials which guarantee protection of the environment all the way to their end-of-life cycle. A necessary advance dictated by environmental questions and the oil crisis.

Production of raw materials : an impressive ecological imprint • A local resource : 85% of these fibers are produced in Europe • A renewable resource • No irrigation – little fertilizer • Production using little energy • A natural and mechanical transformation process (retting – scutching) • Reduction of green house effect gases : 450 000 tons avoided • Emission of CO2 almost non-existant • CO2 stockage – production of biomass : Co2 compensation/year • Zero waste : all plant by-product can be used (shive, mulch, dust) • 100 % recyclable and compostable Hemp LCA – French Ministry of Agriculture and Fishing 2005 Flax LCA and Eco profil – ISO norms 14040 and 14044 INRA European Commission Audit, March 2007

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= 16T/ha

For healthier semi- finished products

• Lower environmental impact • Local, renewable resource • Low abrasion • No skin irritation when handled • End-of-life optimization of components • Recycling by incineration (energy) • No residue after incineration • Carbon neutrality • 100% bio-degradable when combined with an organic matrix

Existing semi-finished products :

Textile

Compound

Mat

Roving

« Concerning the environmental impact of flax and hemp cultures, the evaluation report underlines that these cultures clearly need less fertilizer and chemical pesticides than replacement cultures. In addition, they have positive effects on the agricultural eco-systems’ diversity and landscape. In this context, growing these fibers offers a welcome ‘environmental pause’ in order to maintain soil quality, preserve landscapes and encourage bio-diversity. » Extract of the ADVISORY COMMISSION’S REPORT TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT Brussels, May 20, 2008.

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FLAX AND HEMP COMPOSITES : ADVANTAGES Flax and hemp fibers’ mechanical properties offer characteristics comparable to glass fibers because of their unique rigidity. Thanks to the weak density of these natural fibers in relation to glass fibers (-40%), composite materials using flax and hemp prove interesting for those applications where light weight is a defining element.

RESISTANCE Resistance to breakage, compression and twisting BIODEGRADABLE WIND TURBINE mixed technical fabric 40% flax/PLA LTP

RIGIDITY Resistance to distorsion, twisting and shearing Weight gain

REAR VIEW MIRROR INSERT compounding 30% Hemp/PP Peugeot 207

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VIBRATION ABSORBTION Absorbtion capacity of hollow fibers Comfort of use Decreased risk of injury

-22%

vibration

FLAX FIBER 820 RACKET prepreg technical fabric 15% flax/Carbon Artengo

- 20%

vibration

BICYCLE prepreg technical fabric 80% flax/Carbon Museeuw Bikes

ACOUSTIC Absorbtion capacity of hollow fibers Reduces noise caused by vibrations

AUTOMOBILE DOOR INSET thermo-compressed 60% flax/PP Citroën C4 Picasso

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FLAX & HEMP FIBER PERFORMANCES : SCIENTIFIC DATA Mechanical properties p(g/cm3) E (GPa)

Flax

1.4

Strengh (MPa)

Failure strain (%)

References

40-85

800-2000

2.4 - 3

(1)

58

1339

3.27

(2)

71

1381

2.1

(3)

77

1795

2.4

(4)

26-30

500-900

1.6

(1)

Hemp

1.48

44

788

1.8

(5)

E-glass

2.54

72-73

2000-2400

3

(6)

Values in green are average values found in publications, the others are measured values. 1. Beukers, A., Lightness. The inevitable renaissance of minimum energy structure, ed. v. Hinte. 1998, Rotterdam: 010 Publishers. 2. Baley, C., Analysis of the flax fibres tensile behaviour and analysis of the tensile stiffnes increase. Composites Part A, 2002. 33: p. 943-948. 3. Charlet, K., Jernot,J.P., Gomina, M., Bréard, J., Morvan, C., Baley, C. Flax fibre reinforced composites: influence of the fibre position in the stem on its mechanical , chemical and morphological properties. in ECCM 12. 2006. Biarritz. 4. K. Charlet, C.B., C. Morvan, J.P. Jernot, M. Gomina, J. Bréard, Characteristics of Hermes flax fibres as a function of their location in the stem and properties of the derived unidirectional composites. Composites Part A, 2007. 38: p. 1912-1921. 5. Bourmaud, A. and C. Baley, Rigidity analysis of polypropylene/vegetal fibre composites after recycling. Polymer degradation and stability, 2009. 94(3): p. 297-305. 6. Guillon, D., Fibres de verre de renforcement. Techniques de l’Ingénieur, 1995. A2110.

Specific properties Source : KU Leuven

Density (g/cm3) 32,5 2-

Density Flax & Hemp = 1,5g/cm3

1,5 10,5 0

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Flax

Hemp

E-glass

Specific stiffness in traction (GPa*cm3/g)

Strengh

60 50 40 30 20 10 0

Flax

Hemp

E-glass

Strengh Specific stiffness bending 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0

-



Strengh

Flax

Hemp

E-glass

Strengh

Specific strengh (MPa*cm3/g) 1000 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0

Flax

Hemp

E-glass

Strengh

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THE CELC AT THE HEART OF AN ORGANIZED EUROPEAN INDUSTRY With the Technical Pole and the creation of its European Scientific Commitee for flax and hemp industry, the CELC helps move its member companies towards the innovative technical opportunities such as composite products and eco building.

An assured supply that answers the market demand IN VOLUME : Reactivity – an organized European network that anticipates the industry’s needs Production capacity of flax and hemp 140 factories transform flax and 20 factories transform hemp European flax and hemp cultivation (2009) FLAX 190 000 tons of fibers HEMP 25 000 tons of fibers IN QUALITY : Fiber standardization guarantees assured quality from one year to the next thanks to : • multiple European geographic zones for production • possibilities for homogenous fiber assemblages from one harvest to another

A committed industry that takes concrete actions The establishment of a Commission for experimental flax fiber norms with a view to their use in plastic composites

QUALITY

Europe

Experimental norm XP T 25-501-2 (AFNOR october 2009) Fibers for reinforcement – Flax fibers for plastic composites.

Supply

Definition of tensile properties for elementary fibers. Applies to elementary fibers which extend less than or equal to 8% before breaking. This experimental norm specifies a method for determining tensile resistance - from distorsion to breaking - of the elasticity module when pulled (Young module) and the curve that resists the distorsion of elementary flax fibers.



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ENVIRONMENT

Organised industry

Reactivity

Know-how

Standardization SUSTAINABLE



DEVELOPMENT

A Pole dedicated to Technical Uses Created in 2005, the Technical Uses Pole of CELC : • Structures the initiatives related to agriculture, industry, energy, research and the environment • Coordinates the activities linked to the development of recyclable resources and materials • Gathers a network of exchanges documenting the different projects using a continually updated database • Exercises an active intelligence of the policies and initiatives conducted in the concerned markets • Anticipates a policy of sustainable development in the industry

At your service A dedicated Project Manager • a technical and scientific reference Dr • [email protected]

This pole is supported by a European Scientific Committee at the service of players in the flax and hemp industry as well as industrial users of the fibers 8 experts from different areas of research pool their knowledge of analytical and characterization techniques to : • Establish an inventory of existing scientific resources and techniques • Evoke possibilities for evolution and new research in correlation with the industry’s strategy • Privilege open-ended innovation and facilitate shifts of technical competences.

The CELC is surrounded by specialized partners plus French and European professional organizations • KU Leuven Universeit in convention with the Technical Use Pole, a reference in the composite industry • Flax Technical Institute (I.T.L.) The ITL, a research and development tool in the flax industry, offers products and services to flax producers which allow them to optimize production methods in an evolving economic, technical and regulatory context. The optimization of technical production itineraries, evaluation of fertilizers, control of bio-attackers, perfecting of tools that diagnose and aid in decision-making and the improvement of harvesting machines are areas which require substantial research efforts. On all these points, the ITL organizes experiments, research actions and targeted, concerted developments that can be quickly evaluated. ITL’s research and experimentation is coupled by communicating the technical results found to industry professionals – order-givers, producers, transformers … Its message is both objective and independent. • Technical Hemp Institute (I.T.C.) This inter-professional structure for applied research specializing in hemp cultivation provides technical references to improve the production and profitability of hemp’s cultivation by producers.

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Mat

Hemp field

Fiber of flax husks

Flax field Roving Hemp fiber

Hackled flax fiber Textile

Compound

15 rue du Louvre - 75001 Paris - France

CELC Project Manager : JULIE PARISET

Tel: +33 (0)1 42 21 89 69 - Fax: +33 (0)1 42 21 48 22

E: [email protected]

Web : www.mastersoflinen.com

CELC/KU Leuven Technical Referent : JORIS BAETS

Blog : www.linenandhempcommunity.eu

E: [email protected]