Purdue Hemp Products Utilization Consortium will initially focus on superabsorbent materials research

Academic researchers, Indiana hemp farmers, industry stakeholders and others networked and celebrated during the Oct. 22 launch of a consortium that will advance the research and development of hemp-based products developed at Purdue University.

The objectives of the Purdue Hemp Products Utilization Consortium (H-PUC) are to process scale-up and agricultural experimental trials, fine-tune and optimize technology — including the process conditions for intended applications — and develop marketing strategies to reach prospective customers to understand their needs.

The consortium’s initial focus will be biodegradable superabsorbent materials made from hemp hurd and hemp bast developed in Purdue’s College of Agriculture. The hemp-based materials retain water in a cleaner, more sustainable way and have much less environmental impact than traditional materials.

Senay Simsek is H-PUC’s primary investigator. She is a professor in and the head of Purdue’s Department of Food Science. She also holds the Dean’s Chair in Food Science.

“H-PUC is addressing global needs and the challenges of growing populations and climate change through sustainable solutions,” she said. “While our initial focus is superabsorbent materials, our vision extends beyond this. We aim to broaden our scope over time.”

Simsek said H-PUC has several short-term and long-term goals.

“Our short-term aims will be to leverage funds, test pilot-scale production and evaluate pilot production conditions,” she said. “Our long-term plans include scaling up of production, partnering with companies with intellectual property, customizing materials for specific applications and developing marketing strategies.”

Hemp-based superabsorbent materials

Simsek collaborated with Marguerite Bolt in Purdue’s Department of Agronomy and former Purdue researcher Laila Hossain to develop the hemp-based superabsorbent materials. Simsek said hurds and bast are two parts of the hemp plant that offer unique benefits for sustainable material development, particularly in absorption technologies.

“Hemp hurds, found in the inner woody core of the hemp stalk, are highly absorbent due to their high cellulose content and low lignin levels. This makes them an excellent alternative for superabsorbent applications,” she said. “Hemp bast, the fibrous outer layer, while less absorbent, provides strength and durability.”

Simsek and her team tested the Purdue superabsorbent materials made from hemp using standardized absorbency tests, which compared them against traditional superabsorbent materials such as polyacrylate-based products.

“The hemp hurd, due to its enhanced surface area and porosity from our refining process, showed significantly higher absorption capacity than both hemp bast and many traditional materials,” she said. “This validation underscores not only the effectiveness of our technology but also its potential to replace less sustainable options in the market.”

Simsek said H-PUC allows her and her research team to collaboratively advance the development of hemp-based products, focusing on both environmental and economic sustainability.

“Through this consortium, my team will be able to scale up our research on hemp-based superabsorbent materials, refine the technology and explore new applications. This collaborative effort not only accelerates our ability to bring environmentally friendly products to market but also strengthens Purdue’s leadership in industrial hemp research,” she said. “Our next steps include optimizing pilot-scale production and partnering with companies to commercialize these innovations.”

Simsek disclosed the superabsorbent hemp-based materials to the Purdue Innovates Office of Technology Commercialization, which has applied for a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to protect the intellectual property. Industry partners interested in developing or commercializing the work should contact Dipak Narula, assistant director of business development and licensing — physical sciences, at dnarula@prf.org, about track code 70273.