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Menstrual fluid derives much of its visible red color from hemoglobin contained within red blood cells, and more specifically from the heme chromophore embedded within the protein. True decolorization is challenging because a treatment must first reach or release hemoglobin, expose the heme structure, and then disrupt its conjugated porphyrin system.
Cell lysis or protein degradation alone may release or redistribute the color, while incomplete oxidation or degradation can shift it to brown, green, or yellow rather than make it substantially less visible. Performance is further complicated by the high protein load and natural antioxidant defenses in blood, including catalase, which can rapidly consume peroxide used by many oxidative enzymes.
Developing a practical solution may therefore require progress across several areas, including red-cell disruption, hemoglobin exposure, catalytic degradation, enzyme stabilization, controlled activation, and management of reaction by-products. We are open to collaborating with experts in functional materials, catalytic chemistry, treatment systems, enzyme engineering, formulation, immobilization, encapsulation, and related fields who can contribute technologies that address one or more aspects of this broader challenge.
We are seeking technologies that can reduce or eliminate the visible color of menstrual fluid by degrading, altering, extracting, binding, or otherwise neutralizing hemoglobin, heme, or their colored breakdown products. Areas of interest include mild decolorization chemistries, enzymes and catalysts, reactive or adsorptive materials, systems that improve access to color-bearing components, controlled activation or delivery technologies, and integrated treatments combining multiple mechanisms.
While a complete treatment system would be ideal, we also welcome technologies that address an individual technical barrier and could contribute to a safe, stable, affordable, and scalable solution for absorbent hygiene products.
- Oxidative, reductive, complexation, or other chemistries that reduce hemoglobin or heme color
- Technologies that disrupt red blood cells or improve access to hemoglobin and heme
- Reactive polymers or functional materials that chemically alter color-bearing components
- Adsorbents, affinity materials, or selective-binding systems that remove or sequester heme, hemoglobin, or colored by-products
- Enzymes, engineered catalysts, nanozymes, or biomimetic systems relevant to chromophore degradation
- Immobilization, encapsulation, or controlled-release technologies that protect and localize active ingredients
- Technologies for controlled delivery or generation of oxidants, mediators, cofactors, or other treatment agents
- Integrated chemistries or treatment systems combining multiple decolorization steps
- Technologies that capture, neutralize, or reduce persistent colored or reactive by-products
- Addresses at least one clearly defined barrier to decolorization or color reduction
- Provides a scientifically supported mechanism relevant to the proposed role
- Plausible path toward safe, scalable, and cost-effective use in an absorbent hygiene product
- Demonstrated color reduction in blood, menstrual fluid, or a realistic simulant
- Maintains, or helps maintain, activity after prolonged dry storage
- Operates, or enables operation, under mild conditions
- Helps minimize persistent color, odor, or reactive by-products
- Harsh chemistries with no credible path to safe, contained use in a hygiene product
Our passion for creating essentials for a better life for people everywhere has driven us to invent five of our eight major consumer product categories: facial tissue, paper towels, toilet paper on a roll, feminine pads and disposable training pants.
At Kimberly-Clark, the insights gained from our customers, shoppers and users drive us to continuously explore new ways to create innovative product and design solutions across our brands and increase our speed to market with new-to-the-world essential solutions.
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