Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
The market for pallet boards and plastic
boxes represents some 100 million units, with
a lifespan/replacement rate of 10 years each.
In Europe, the pallet market numbers some
32 million units/year. The weight of a plastic
pallet is approximately 12 kg; the European
market therefore accounts for an annual
demand of 400 kt. The advantages of these
pallets in terms of their low weight, rigidity,
rapid construction and the possibility of mak-
ing 'active pallets' mean that hemp-reinforced
high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and PP
have the potential for significant further
development.
Technical items and automobiles are
also areas of potential development for nat-
ural fibre reinforced polymers. The many
specific properties of these compounds will
be of interest to a large number of manufac-
turers. The most important characteristics
are rigidity, low weight, shorter production
cycles, geometric stability and the absence
of clumping. The potential development in
this market has been estimated at 10-20 kt
for compounds of hemp and PP, PE or
ABS.
Various other markets also have inter-
esting potential: toys, sport and leisure, elec-
trotechnical, etc… The value of these
compounds lies in both their technical prop-
erties and aesthetic criteria. AFT Plasturgie
has developed a collection of materials with
coloured fibres that can be seen within the
mass of the polymer.
Taken together, the plastics market for
compounds reinforced with hemp represents a
potential in excess of 100 kt. In order to realize
this share of the market, the following will
prove very important:
A well-structured industry where all aspects
from fibre production to the final forma-
tion of the plastic end product are control-
led efficiently.
A network of specialists capable of sup-
porting the development of the industry.
The capacity to grow rapidly in response
to market demand.
Notes
1 ABS = acrylonitrile, butadiene and styrene.
2 The Vicat is the temperature at which a flat-ended needle penetrates a test sample to a depth of 1 mm
under a particular load and uniform heating rate.
 
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