Nalgrass: A Nonwood Fiber Source Suitable for Existing US

INTRODUCTION Arundo donax, Poaceae, commonly known as “nalgrass,” is a member of the reed family that grows both wild and cultivated in California. Evaluated as a potential paper fiber source in Italy and Hungary over 50 years ago and included in the 1970s USDA evaluation of potential annual fiber crops, the high potential of A. donax has not been widely recognized. A new evaluation was begun in 1999 by Nile Fiber Pulp & Paper Company. The pulping behavior and pulp properties of the material were tested. The results were surprising in that many of the attributes of A. donax were found to be suitable for direct substitution for hardwoods in existing kraft mills without major equipment changes. This is in contrast to most other nonwood raw materials, which required specialized systems for handling and digestion in order to be converted to bleached pulp. This report presents data from kraft pulping of nalgrass and shows how its behavior closely parallels that of wood.