In a field-to-shelf cannabis product development effort, Purdue University has formed a partnership to bring along scientific researchers, Indiana farmers, and industry stakeholders.
The university’s fresh Hemp Products Utilization Consortium (H-PUC) aims to bridge the gap between academic studies and market-ready cannabis products. Formally launched Oct. 22, the firm’s important objectives include conducting agrarian trials, refining digesting conditions, scaling up manufacturing, and developing marketing strategies for green hemp-based materials targeted at various industries.
Senay Simsek, H-PUC’s main investigator and head of Purdue’s Department of Food Science, added,” This collaborative work not just accelerates our ability to bring environmentally friendly products to market but also strengthens Purdue’s authority in industrial cannabis research.
Colleagues sought
Her group is now concentrating on maximizing creation and getting ready for possible partnerships with business leaders to market these innovations. H-PUC’s partnership allows Simsek’s staff to maintain advancing and scaling the study.
The main goal of H-PUC is to create recyclable superabsorbent materials using cannabis rees and thickest fibers, which are produced using cutting-edge techniques developed at Purdue’s College of Agriculture. The components, designed to maintain water successfully, offer a lasting alternative to conventional superabsorbent products.
Simsek said that “H-PUC is addressing global requirements and the problems of growing populations and climate shift” through” lasting solutions. Our goal goes beyond just absorbing supplies, even though our primary focus is superabsorbent materials. Our goal is to expand over period.
Short- and long-term aims
Simsek outlined H-PUC’s phased technique, which includes short-term goals like securing financing, testing pilot-scale creation, and assessing manufacturing conditions. ” Our long-term programs include scaling up of manufacturing, cooperating with companies with intellectual property, changing materials for certain applications, and developing advertising methods”, she said.
The efficacy of hemp hurds and bast has already been demonstrated by Simsek’s research. ” Hemp hurds… are highly absorbent due to their high cellulose content and low lignin levels, making them an excellent alternative for superabsorbent applications”, she said, noting the more durable outer bast layer, while less absorbent, contributes strength and durability to any final outputs.
High absorbtion capacity
To evaluate the suitability of the superabsorbent materials developed at the university, Simsek’s team collaborated with Purdue Agronomy Department’s Marguerite Bolt and former Purdue researcher Laila Hossain. Standardized tests showed that the materials outperformed many traditional products like polyacrylate-based absorbents.
According to Simsek,” the hemp hurd demonstrated significantly higher absorption capacity than both hemp bast and many traditional materials,” which highlights the technology’s sustainable potential.
The Purdue Innovates Office of Technology Commercialization, which has filed a patent application for the superabsorbent hemp-based materials, manages Purdue’s intellectual property and commercial partnerships. In fiscal 2024, the office reported more than 460 invention disclosures and nearly 300 patents, which show Purdue’s active involvement in innovation and technology transfer.
In a related initiative, Purdue researchers are developing hemp-based cellulose for absorbent products like diapers. This study, which is supported by the Purdue Innovates Office, seeks sustainable alternatives to synthetic materials in consumer goods, potentially changing the market for disposable absorbent goods.
Hemp Products Utilization Consortium leadership at Purdue: from left: Bernie Engel, the Glenn W. Sample Dean of Agriculture at Purdue University, Jona Williams of Momentum Management, Marguerite Bolt, Purdue Extension specialist, Jamie Petty of the Midwest Hemp Council, Senay Simsek, head of Purdue’s Department of Food Science, Jake Bergman of Consolidated Carbon One, Tim Neal of Iconoclast Industries, and Ronald Turco, associate dean and director of agricultural research and graduate education in the College of Agriculture, during a Oct. 22 signing reception in West Lafayette to commemorate the Purdue Hemp Products Utilization Consortium. ( Purdue Agricultural Communications photo/Joshua Clark )
