HEMP VS CARBON FIBER — THE TRUTH Carbon fiber is stronger in tensile strength. Hemp is tougher and less brittle. But the deeper engineering reality is where hemp wins in ways most people don’t… | Ramon Granados. Mr. Hemp

HEMP VS CARBON FIBER — THE TRUTH Carbon fiber is stronger in tensile strength. Hemp is tougher and less brittle. But the deeper engineering reality is where hemp wins in ways most people don’t understand. MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR — STRENGTH VS TOUGHNESS CARBON FIBER Extremely high tensile strength. Extremely high stiffness. Extremely low strain-to-failure (very brittle) When it fails → it shatters catastrophically Amazing for aerospace, F1, etc Terrible for impact energy absorption HEMP FIBER Lower tensile strength than carbon fiber. Higher strain-to-failure (it bends, flexes, dissipates energy). Better impact resistance. Failures are progressive, not catastrophic In car crash structures → “energy absorption” matters more than raw strength. This is why: BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Audi, and Volvo ALL use hemp composites in doors, trunks, dashboards, and impact panels. They don’t advertise it… but they use it because hemp is: safer, more predictable during impact, lighter than glass fiber and cheaper than carbon DENSITY & WEIGHT SAVINGS Carbon fiber density: 1.75–1.9 g/cm³ Hemp fiber density: 1.3–1.5 g/cm³ Hemp composites can reach half the weight of fiberglass with similar stiffness and much better impact performance. Lightweight = fuel savings. Fuel savings = emissions reduction. This is why Europe pushes natural fiber composites so aggressively. CARBON FOOTPRINT Carbon Fiber: Energy-intensive. Toxic solvents. High-temperature ovens. 25–75 kg CO₂ per kg produced. Non-recyclable. Landfills are full of broken carbon fiber Hemp Fiber: Carbon-negative crop. 1 hectare absorbs 8–22 tons CO₂. Low-energy retting (enzymes or water). Composite manufacturing at 100–180°C (vs 1000+°C for carbon). Biodegradable (depending on resin) Hemp composite lifecycle → carbon negative. Carbon fiber → carbon disaster. COST — THE INDUSTRY SECRET Carbon fiber: $45–$90/kg Hemp fiber: $1.20–$3.00/kg Even hemp/carbon hybrid weaves reduce cost drastically with minimal performance loss. Companies in Germany, China, and Canada already blend hemp + carbon to make: bike frames, drones, helmets, surfboards and automotive parts Better damping + lower cost + greener footprint. REAL APPLICATIONS Hemp composite wins in: impact panels, car door structures, dashboards, furniture, helmets, boat hull damping, loudspeakers (beautiful acoustic damping) and drone bodies (vibration resistance) Carbon fiber wins in: ultra-high performance, aerospace, racing and extremely low weight + high stiffness applications. But in 95% of consumer applications? Hemp is the smarter material. THE FUTURE — HEMP BIOCHAR SUPERCOMPOSITES This is where Hemp is revolutionary: Biochar + hemp fiber + biopolymer resins create: ultra-strong, ultra-light, heat-resistant. carbon-negative and recyclable Next-generation composites. Better than carbon fiber and better than traditional hemp composites. This is where Hemp Engineering has a true global edge.