Hesperaloe is a desert plant native to Arizona, California, and Sonora, Mexico. Its long, slender fibers may allow it to provide strength similar to northern softwood pulp while maintaining very low fiber coarseness.

The plant also grows with very little water, particularly compared with cotton, one of the thirstiest commercial crops. Its low lignin content may make pulping easier and less capital-intensive.

As a result, Hesperaloe is a candidate for simpler chemical-mechanical processes that are also being explored for other non-wood fibers.

The idea itself is not new. Hesperaloe first appeared in the patent literature in a 1993 James River (Georgia-Pacific) patent, followed by a 1999 pulping process developed by Hurter Consulting and North Carolina State University.

What has changed is the scale of the effort to determine whether the fiber can become commercially viable.

The opportunity is significant, but so is the risk. Developing Hesperaloe into a commercially viable fiber source will require breakthroughs in agriculture, processing, and supply-chain development. Kimberly-Clark’s recently announced $100 million pilot plant in Yuma, Arizona, suggests the company believes the potential is worth exploring.

What Is Hesperaloe Fiber and Why Is Kimberly-Clark Investing in It?