Hemp fabric and cellulose paper are sustainable materials with high application potential – but their limited water resistance and mechanical resilience hinder their wider industrial use. The emulsion, which is based on an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN), was applied to hemp textiles and filter paper. The water contact angle (WCA) increased from 0° to 127.5° for hemp and to 113.2° for paper. The mechanical characteristics also improved significantly: the tensile strength of the hemp fabric increased by 19 % and the folding strength of the filter paper increased 23-fold. Source: Deng, Lihua et al (2025): Simultaneously improving water resistance and mechanical strength of hemp fabric and paper substrates enabled by silicone-containing waterborne polyurethane surface coating.