10043759Hemp-based composite with enhanced water resistanceClosedGrant for R&DInnovate UK• Biocomposite materials made from plant fibres and resin are a more sustainable alternative to plastic for manufacturing • Biocomposites are already widely used to make things that stay indoors such car interiors and musical instruments • The problem with biocomposites is the weather: roofs and vehicle panels are not made from them because plant fibres absorb water over time and lose their strength • Cellexcel has developed a novel process to make water-resistant biocomposites for outdoor applications, and has had good trial results using flax fibre as the raw material * Growing hemp absorbs 2-3 times more CO2 than growing flax, and hemp can be grown in much of the the UK without irrigation • Cellexcel's new project is to apply its process to hemp, preferably sourced from the UK, producing and testing a new biocomposite material from local sustainable sources • The new hemp-based biocomposite, known as "Cellexcellent", could replace plastic, fibre glass, carbon fibre and eventually steel in vehicle and building exteriors, greatly reducing their carbon footprint • Making body panels from Cellexcellent biocomposites will also enable lightweighting of next-generation vehicles, reducing CO2 emissions from both their manufacture and usage • All kinds of vehicles such as drones and agricultural autonomous vehicles can be made lightweight and strong from Cellexcellent-- without the plastic waste at end-of-life