Researchers from the Bangladesh University of Textiles have successfully produced hemp/cotton blended yarns using the vortex spinning system, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional cotton textiles.
The study focused on overcoming hemp’s natural limitations—its stiffness and coarseness—which typically reduce its spinnability. By blending hemp with cotton and using vortex spinning, the team was able to create yarns with up to 30% hemp content suitable for knitwear, where characteristics like low hairiness and strong pilling resistance are essential. Unlike the conventional use of combed cotton in vortex spinning, the study used carded cotton to reduce costs without compromising yarn viability.
Yarns of the same count and blend ratio were also produced using ring and rotor spinning systems for comparison. Vortex-spun yarns showed low hairiness levels similar to rotor yarns and lower than ring-spun yarns. While tensile strength slightly increased with 10% hemp blends, higher hemp content led to a gradual decline in strength. Even so, the yarns with up to 30% hemp were still deemed acceptable for knitwear production.
The results demonstrate the potential of vortex spinning to make hemp-based textiles more commercially viable and environmentally friendly. The full text of the study can be found by clicking here.
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