Research was performed into the use of hemp shive as a fast-growing and carbon-storing agricultural waste material in the production of particleboard for the construction industry. Hemp shives were acquired and prepared for board production with the use of milling and sieving to reach two target groups with 0.5 mm to 2 mm and 2 mm to 5.6 mm particle size ranges. The cold pressing method was used to produce hemp boards with Kleiberit urea formaldehyde resin as a binder. The boards were made as 19 mm thick single-layer parts with a density range of 300 ± 30 kg/m³, which qualifies them as low-density boards. Exploratory samples were made using milled hemp fibers with higher density. Additional components such as color pigments and wood finishes were added to test improved features over raw board samples. Tests were performed to determine moisture contents, density range, structural properties, and water absorption amounts. Produced board bending strength reached 2.4 MPa for the coarser particle group and thermal conductivity of 0.057 ± 0.002 W/(mK). The results were compared with existing materials used in the industry or in the development stage to indicate options of developed board applications as indoor insulation material in the construction industry.

Phase change materials (PCMs) are now widely known as potential additives for building insulation materials to provide a thermal mass effect that helps conserve energy and maintain a comfortable indoor temperature. Therefore, the study presented in this paper focuses on an experimental investigation of the specific heat capacity and thermal conductivity of hemp shive mixed with PCMs. Industrially manufactured organic PCM-S50 received from MikroCaps Ltd. (Slovenia) has been used to further enhance respective properties of the product samples. The experimental boards were made from hemp shive by directly mixing 5% encapsulate PCMs into the mass. Cold pressing was used to manufacture the boards with Kleiberit urea formaldehyde resin glue as a binding agent. The experimental boards were made as 25 mm thick single-layer parts with a density of 300 ± 20 kg/m³, which qualify them as low-density boards. By adding nanocapsules during the board manufacturing process, the heat capacity is increased by 62%. Based on the great potential of using latent heat, it becomes a possible solution for the development of new technologies related to the automatic regulation of an indoor microclimate.

A new invisible nanolevel coating has been developed based on the sol-gel process for veneer finishes. The sol synthesis and its application as a protective agent is described. It could be demonstrated that a combination of organic light stabilizers and sol-gel deposits is feasible and that the resulting hybrid inorganic-organic thin films decrease moisture uptake of hardwood veneers.

The growing availability and decreasing cost of microencapsulated phase change materials (PCMs) present an opportunity to develop innovative insulation materials for latent heat energy storage. By integrating PCMs with traditional insulation materials, it is possible to enhance the thermal capacity of a building by up to 2.5-times, virtually without increasing the building’s mass. To improve buildings’ indoor structural performance, as well as improving their energy performance, microencapsulated PCMs are integrated into wallboards. The integration of microencapsulated PCMs into the wallboard solves the PCM leakage problem and assures a good bond with the building materials to achieve better structural performance. The novelty of this research is the application of encapsulated phase change material dispersion and technology for its incorporation into the structure of hemp shives and longitudinally milled wood chip-based insulation boards, using cold pressing technology to reduce the energy consumption of board production. As a result, low-density insulation boards for indoor application were produced by varying their structure and the amount of phase change materials in the range of 5% to 15% by board mass. The obtained board prototypes can be used as microclimate and thermoregulation elements of interiors, as well as functional aesthetic elements of interior design.

In this research, agricultural residue of seed hemp variety “Adzelvieši” was used to create hemp particleboard samples. Hemp was grown in three experimental fields where it was observed that after seed harvesting, 3.5 tonnes of hemp stems per hectare remained. The plants were processed with milling, cutting, and sieving equipment. Moisture content and particle size distribution were observed throughout raw material processing. Hemp boards were produced using the cold pressing method with 10% urea formaldehyde resin as the binder. The boards were made as 20 mm thick single-layer parts with a density range of 220 ± 30 kg/m³ and porosity of 86%. Board structural analysis was performed using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy methods. Mechanical strength was determined by performing bending strength, internal bond strength, and screw withdrawal tests. The thermal conductivity reached 0.047 ± 0.008 W/(mK). The results were compared with industrially produced hemp shive boards and materials in the developmental or production stage. The feasibility for the experimental production cycle proposed in the study is discussed.

In the report there are reflected research results of new board type biocomposites creation for furniture and equipment manufacturing for public segment, replacing traditional petroleum-based components with fully or partly renewable, biodegradable raw materials as one of the major global environmental problems today is non-renewable resource depletion and waste of petroleum-based plastic products. Performed research of biopolymer composites development shows that they are cheaper, environmentally friendlier, lighter, more easily to recycle and to dispose at the end of the product life cycle. For biopolymer’s reinforcement industrial flax and hemp fibers in terms of mechanical qualities are competitive with the glass fiber, they are strong enough in many applications, CO2 neutral, have a relatively low cost, low production energy requirements. By creating new biocomposites it is taken into account that the designed material mechanical properties are mainly dependent on the fiber mass in the matrix, orientation and adhesion to the matrix material. The maximum theoretical amount of fiber weight in composite can reach 91%, specific weight of the fiber component used in practice is usually between 45-65%, but can reach also 70%. For improvement of the adhesion the chemical treatment and drying of the fibers need to be done, also adjuvants that promote development of the hydroxyl group links should be incorporated in the matrix.