Nanocomposite hemp

Abstract

A composite material comprising a polymer and a carbonized hemp filler, wherein the carbonized hemp filler is produced by carbonizing hemp at a temperature of at least 1100° C. to produce a char; and milling the char to produce a particle size, wherein the filler comprises 95% of particles of less than 10 microns in size; and wherein the hemp filler comprises between 1 and 50% of the total mass of the composite.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A composite particle made by a process comprising:
 i. processing a portion of polymer to generate a polymer particle having an average particle size of between 0.001 and 100 microns, using a 30 Hz processing in an oscillating mill;   ii. processing a portion of hemp for between 10 and 30 minutes at 30 Hz to generate a hemp particle; and   iii. combining a portion of polymer particle and a portion of hemp particle and milling them together at 30 Hz for between 1 and 30 minutes to form the composite particle, said composite particle comprising the polymer particle and the hemp particle.   
     
     
         2 . The composite particle of  claim 1 , wherein the portion of hemp is processed by cryomilling the hemp under liquid nitrogen. 
     
     
         3 . The composite particle of  claim 1 , wherein the average particle size of the polymer and of the hemp particle are each less than 10 microns. 
     
     
         4 . The composite particle of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of: acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polylactic acid, polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The composite particle of  claim 1 , wherein the particle size of the hemp particle is an average of less than 2 microns. 
     
     
         6 . The composite particle of  claim 1 , comprising a further step wherein the portion of hemp in step (ii) is carbonized hemp. 
     
     
         7 . The composite particle of  claim 6 , wherein the carbonized hemp is made by heating a portion of hemp in a furnace at a temperate of greater than 600° C.; and wherein an inert gas is added to the furnace to create a low oxygen environment within the furnace while heating the hemp. 
     
     
         8 . The composite particle of  claim 7 , wherein the carbonized hemp is heated at a temperate of at least 1100° C. 
     
     
         9 . The composite particle of  claim 1 , wherein the hemp is selected from: hemp stalk, hemp hurd, hemp fiber, hemp leaves, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the carbonized hemp is processed by cryomilling. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the composite particle comprises between 1 and 50% of the cryomilled hemp. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composite particle has a resistance of less than 100Ω. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer is selected from a biodegradable polymer, a nonbiodegradable polymer, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The composite particle of  claim 1 , wherein the composite particle is extruded into a composite article. 
     
     
         15 . The composite particle of  claim 1 , wherein the composite particle does not contain silanes or a dispersing agent to disperse the hemp particles into the polymer.