Open-Access Hemp Fiber & Textile Research: Retting, Degumming, Spinning, Dyeing, QA, LCA & Textiles

Looking for credible, free-to-read science on hemp fiber and textiles?
This curated library brings together open-access, peer-reviewed articles on retting, degumming, spinning, dyeing, quality measurement, and sustainability. Perfect for brands, mills, product developers, and researchers who want a direct path to the evidence.

All links verified open-access as of September 2025.

Contents

  • 1) Big-Picture Reviews & Overviews

  • 2) Retting & Microbiology

  • 3) Degumming & Cottonization

  • 4) Spinning, Blends & Yarn Engineering

  • 5) Dyeing, Finishing & Functionality

  • 6) Quality Measurement & Surface Science

  • 7) LCA, Sustainability & Carbon

Big-Picture Reviews & Overviews

Why it matters: Start here to understand the entire field—from agronomy and fiber extraction to textile routes and end uses.

“Hemp fibers have re-emerged as a leading bast fiber—field to fiber to fabric.”

Papers (open access):

  1. Hemp Fibre Properties & Processing (2022) — authoritative textile-focused review.

  2. Hemp: From Field to Fiber—A Review (2024) — end-to-end supply-chain overview.

  3. Retting of Bast Fiber Crops Like Hemp & Flax—A Review (2024) — modern retting science in context.

  4. Applications of Hemp Polymers & Extracts in Food/Textile/Packaging (2022) — broad applications including textiles.

  5. Era of Bast Fibers-Based Polymer Composites (2024) — bast fibers landscape with hemp throughout.

  6. Hemp Fiber & Its Bio-Composites: Comprehensive Review (2025) — deep dive on structure & performance (OA).

  7. Industrial Fiber Hemp: Agronomy → Valorization Review (2024) — cultivation and post-harvest processes.

  8. U.S. Hemp Textile Roadmap Workshop Notes (2024) — stakeholder view on bottlenecks/opportunities (OA briefing).

  9. Growing Hemp for the Future: A Global Fiber Guide (Textile Exchange, 2023) 

Why it matters: Retting is where quality is won or lost. The microbiome and enzymes drive pectin breakdown and fiber liberation.

Retting & Microbiology

“Microorganisms play a central role in mediating this bioprocess.”

Papers (open access):

  1. Microbial Communities & Their Role in Enhancing Hemp Retting (2024, review) — up-to-date primer on organisms & enzymes.

  2. The Microbiology of Hemp Retting in a Controlled Environment (2020) — 16S profiling across retting stages.

  3. Water Retting with Dew-Retting Pre-Treatment (2024) — enzyme activity & microbiota dynamics; lab-scale control.

  4. Pectinase Effects on Bacterial Succession During Retting (2024) — comparative water vs enzyme vs bacterial retting.

  5. Retting Review Across Bast Fibers (2024) — process mechanisms, environmental factors, and outcomes.

  6. Dew-Retting Feasibility Across Contrasting Climates (2021, repository OA) — practical field guidance.

  7. Elucidating Field Retting Mechanisms (2024) — microscopy + molecular views of microbial action in field retting.

  8. Quantity & Quality of Flax & Hemp Fibers vs Extraction Methods (2023) — how dew vs water retting changes outcomes.

  9. Comparative LCA: Bacterial vs Thermochemical Retting (2024) — energy & impact trade-offs.

  10. Water Retting: Pre-treatment & Microbiota (2024, duplicate coverage for OA readers) — Springer + PMC access points. 

Why it matters: Degumming removes pectins, hemicellulose, and residual lignin to unlock spinnable, cotton-system-compatible hemp.

Degumming & Cottonization

“Alkali degumming dominates today; enzyme routes cut severity but need process time.”

Papers (open access):

  1. Enzymatic Degumming of Hemp—Literature Review (2025) — comprehensive OA review of enzyme systems & mechanisms.

  2. Green Degumming of Hemp (ACS Omega, 2021) — biochemical route with lower temperature/impact.

  3. One-Step Alkaline–Hydrogen Peroxide Degumming (BioResources, 2023) — low-temp process optimization.

  4. Clarifying Bio-Degumming Enzymes (Polymers, 2024) — which pectinases matter; practical guidance.

  5. Mechanical-Chemical Cottonization of Non-Textile Hemp (Cellulose, 2025) — turns ag residues into spinnable slivers (OA + repository).

  6. Ultrasonic Degumming for Hemp (CC BY) — classic sonic-assisted pathway; parameters & principles.

  7. Steam Explosion Toward Cottonization—Part 1 (benchmark) — foundational physicochemical route to finer fibers.

  8. Deep-Eutectic Solvent / Microwave Degumming (2022) — solvent innovation direction.

  9. Eco-Friendly Solid-State Degumming with Ethanolamine (2024) — promising lignin removal; process notes.

  10. Green Degumming via Ternary DES (2025, ACS) — next-gen chemistry; OA.

Spinning, Blends & Yarn Engineering

Why it matters: Once cottonized, hemp can run on ring, rotor, and vortex lines—blending with cotton, wool, nylon, or recycled inputs.

“Cottonized hemp can run on standard ring or open-end rotor equipment.”

Papers (open access):

  1. Hemp/Cotton Vortex Yarns for Knitwear (2025) — 20 Ne yarns with up to 30% hemp; process windows. (OA via RG).

  2. Droplet-Wet Spinning for High-Quality Hemp/Cotton (2024) — modified ring-type wet route (include as process signal).

  3. Mechanical-Chemical Cottonization Enables OE Rotor Spinning (2025, OA + repo) — 100% hemp and 25/75 hemp/cotton.

  4. Hemp & Nylon Blended Worsted Yarns (2023, OA via RG) — handles & performance at various blend ratios.

  5. Recycled Yarn Blends with Hemp (2023, OA) — spinning recycle lines with hemp; quality trade-offs.

  6. Field-to-Mill Tech Brief: Yarn Development from Industrial Hemp (2025, OA PDF) — practical mill guidance & pitfalls.

  7. Ring vs Rotor vs Vortex — Production Primer (2025, OA explainer) — equipment and yarn property differences.

  8. Lyocell-Type Recycling of Hemp Textiles (2023, OA PDF) — IL dry-jet-wet spinning of post-consumer hemp.

  9. New Feeding Mechanism for Composite Yarn (2024, OA) — relevant for hemp-blend composite yarns.

  10. Hemp: From Field to Fiber—Spinning Section (context) — process overview to connect lab→mill.

Why it matters: Surface chemistry is different from cotton; pretreatments (plasma, enzymatic) and bio-based finishes can unlock color/comfort/performance.

Dyeing, Finishing & Functionality

“Plasma pretreatment improves coloration without compromising bulk properties.”

Papers (open access):

  1. Natural Dyeing of Hemp/Cotton with Madder & Calendula (2022) — good fastness, practical recipes.

  2. Low-Pressure Argon Plasma to Improve Dyeability (2024, OA repo) — coloration boost, chemistry rationale.

  3. Ultrasonic Natural Dyeing with Gardenia (2024) — color + inherent antibacterial effect.

  4. UV-Protective & Antibacterial Hemp via AgNPs (2025) — UPF 50+ and >90% reduction after 30 washes.

  5. Antibacterial Hemp by Covalent Grafting (2021, PMC) — quaternary ammonium modification pathway.

  6. Fire-Retardant Strategy for Hemp Fabric/Epoxy (2016, PMC) — durable waterglass/APP route (benchmark FR).

  7. Protic Ionic-Liquid FR on Alkalized Hemp (2023) — FR chemistry for green composites/fabrics.

  8. Eco-Friendly Natural Dyeing — process savings (2025, OA PDF) — water/time reductions using botanicals.

  9. Dyeability + Antibacterial Finish with Neem (2018) — dual-function natural extract approach.

  10. Inkjet Printing Pretreatment (2023) — urea-free CMG thickener for printability on hemp.

Quality Measurement & Surface Science

Why it matters: Consistent yarn/fabric needs standardized fiber metrics (length, fineness, SFE), robust single-fiber mechanics, and optical tools.

“Accurate fiber length measurement is essential for textile processing and quality management.”

Papers (open access):

  1. Brief Review of Hemp Fiber Length Measurement (2024) — methods & sample prep pitfalls.

  2. Characterization & Measurement of Textile-Grade Hemp (2023 review, OA) — test methods across properties.

  3. Characterization of Elementary Hemp Fiber & Fabric (2023) — modern physical/mechanical methods.

  4. Mechanical Properties vs Agronomy & Extraction (2023) — sowing density, N-rate, extraction effects.

  5. Mechanical Properties: Diameter-strength Modeling (2024) — Weibull/Griffith predictions.

  6. Surface Free Energy vs Chemical Composition (2024) — SFE mapping for flax/hemp.

  7. Optical Fiber Diameter Analyzer for Hemp (2025) — new tool proposal for diameter metrics.

  8. AFM Nanomechanics of Hemp Fibers (2025) — nanoscale modulus & morphology.

  9. Terahertz Spectroscopy for Fiber Identification (2025) — rapid THz + ML identification.

  10. Single-Fiber Tensile Testing Practices (2024) — compliance & reliability considerations.

LCA, Sustainability & Carbon

Why it matters: Claims need system boundaries, allocation choices, and biogenic carbon accounting that withstand scrutiny.

“Plant-derived fibers have a positive impact on climate change due to CO₂ storage—lifespan matters.”

Papers (open access):

  1. Comparative LCA of Textile Fibers: Hemp vs Cotton (2025) — farm → harvest → fiber impacts.

  2. Carbon Neutrality Potential of Hemp Textile Products (2023) — biogenic storage & lifetime scenarios.

  3. Environmental Assessment of Woven Hemp Fiber Reinforced Products (2023) — process stage hotspots.

  4. Environmental Impact of Hemp Cultivation (2024) — cultivation phase scenarios & sensitivity.

  5. Cradle-to-Gate LCA for Hemp-Derived Biocomposite Pellets (2025) — industrial case; collection & preprocessing.

  6. USDA National Hemp Report (2025) — production context & volumes for LCA inventories.

  7. Historical LCA of Field-Grown Fiber Hemp (2004, classic) — early benchmark values and methods.

  8. Comparative LCA: Bacterial vs Thermochemical Retting (2024) — adds process-specific impacts.

  9. Carbon Footprint Embodied in Global Fiber Trades (2025) — trade-adjusted view including hemp.

Notes on Selection & Recency

  • Prioritization: We front-loaded 2023–2025 studies where methods are evolving quickly (enzymatic/bio-degumming, cottonization, spinning, LCA), and kept a few classic papers where they’re still the standard reference.

  • Access: Every item above links to an open-access publisher page or a legitimate repository (PMC, institutional, or author OA). When a publisher page is paywalled but an OA repository version exists, we point to the OA version.

  • Caveats: A handful of OA journals (incl. MDPI) publish fast; still peer-reviewed, but we encourage cross-checking claims with multiple sources.

All research links verified open-access (OA) as of September 2025. If you notice a link that has moved or become restricted, please let us know so we can update it.