YEARS OF RESEARCH
In 2001, in partnership with the Interval cooperative, LA CHANVRIÈRE created a pilot plant specifically dedicated to developing thermoplastic compounds reinforced with hemp fibers, the APM company. This blend of polymer and natural fiber presents several technical challenges:
- Fiber preparation,
- Cohesion with the matrix,
- Orientation of fibers in plastics.
In 2007, LA CHANVRIÈRE co-founded FRD.Codem (Fibre Recherche et Développement) with other partners. Serving as an interface between fiber producers and material industries wishing to integrate natural fibers into their products, FRD.Codem has equipped itself with all the necessary extraction and analysis equipment.
FUTURE APPLICATIONS
LA CHANVRIÈRE is sought after by many clients to provide fibers for various applications, such as felts or non-woven mats obtained by needling, usually composed of hemp fibers mixed with thermoplastic polymers, enabling the manufacture of:
- Door interiors, trunk covers, rear shelves for the automotive industry,
- Mulching for horticulture.
Thermoplastic compounds reinforced with hemp fibers are used in the production of injection-molded parts such as:
- Dashboard and door components,
- Interior rearview mirrors,
- Fuel tank caps for the automotive industry, and also in
- Household appliances.
Or by extrusion: decking boards, window frame profiles.
LA CHANVRIÈRE is the reference company in providing technical hemp fibers suitable for the plastics industry. Quality controls are carried out from the agricultural upstream to the finished product, ensuring long-term quality assurance for its clients.
