In hemp-lime, nothing is left to chance — not even the particle size of the hemp shiv (the woody flakes of the stalk). Recent scientific research shows that particle grading has a measurable effect on the performance of the wall.
A 2025 study published in the journal Materials found that a coarse-fraction shiv can reduce thermal conductivity by up to 7.6% compared with a fine fraction: larger particles trap more air, and still air is the best natural insulator. Conversely, increasing the amount of binder can raise conductivity by about 20%.
Fine fractions, on the other hand, tend to give greater mechanical strength and a more compact surface. There is therefore no single recipe: there is the right recipe for that project, calibrated to the thickness, the climate zone and the function of the wall.
This is precisely the bespoke approach of H.0.ME.: the HES-mix is studied case by case, because a building that must insulate at its best does not call for the same mixture as a wall that must also stiffen. Materials science, at the service of people.
Sources: Effect of Hemp Shive Granulometry on the Thermal Conductivity of Hemp–Lime Composites (Materials, 2025); Influence of Hemp Shives Size on Hygro-Thermal and Mechanical Properties of a Hemp-Lime Composite (Materials, 2020).
Article produced with artificial intelligence on the basis of peer-reviewed scientific studies and reviewed by the H.0.ME. editorial team. The figures reported are literature ranges, not promotional claims.