Fractionation of lignocellulose materials

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF TREATING COMMINUTED LIGNOCELLULOSE RAW MATERIAL TO PRODUCE OF FIBROUS PRODUCT AND CHEMICAL PRODUCTS THEREFROM, WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF REACTING THE LIGNOCELLULOSE MATERIAL WITH AN ALKALINE REACTING COMPOUND OF AN ALKALI METAL IN THE PRESENCE OF WATER AT ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AND AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE FROM ROOM TEMPERATURE TO ABOUT 140* C., EXTRACTING WITH AN AQUEOUS SOLVENT THE SOLUBLE PRODUCTS OF REACTION OF SAID LIGNOCELLULOSE MATERIAL WITH SAID ALKALINE REACTING COMPOUND OF AN ALKALI METAL, SEPARATING THE EXTRACTIVES FROM SAID LIGNOCELLULOSE MATERIAL TO OBTAIN THE SAME AS A FIRST PRODUCT AND A FIBROUS RESIDUE, TREATING THE FIBROUS RESIDUE OF SAID LIGNOCELLULOSE MATERIAL WITH AN ALKALI METAL HYPOCHLORITE REAGENT HAVING AN EQUIVALENCY OF FROM 35 PARTS TO 80 PARTS SODIUM HYDROXIDE FOR EACH 100 PARTS BY WEIGHT DRY FIBER, EXTRACTING WITH AN AQUEOUS SOLVENT THE SOLUBLE PRODUCTS OF REACTION OF SAID FIBROUS RESIDUE WITH SAID ALKALI METAL HYPOCHLORITE REAGENT, SEPARATING A SECOND FIBROUS RESIDUE FROM THE SOLUTION EMBODYING SAID LAST NAMED AQUEOUS SOLVENT TO OBTAIN THE SAME AS A SECOND PRODUCT, ADJUSTING THE PH OF THE LAST NAMED SOLUTION AFTER SEPARATION OF SAID SECOND FIBROUS PRODUCT TO A PH VALUE OF ABOUT 7, INCREASING THE SALT CONCENTRATION OF SAID AQUEOUS SOLUTION TO A VALUE APPROACHING SATURATION, ADDING ACID TO SAID SOLUTION TO PRECIPITATE ITS LIGNIN CONTENT, SEPARATING THEREFROM THE PRECIPITATED LIGNIN AS AN INTERMEDIATE PRODUCT OR PRODUCTS, AND LEAVING AS A LAST PRODUCT A RESULTING SOLUTION CONTAINING OTHER ORGANICS INCLUDING POLYSACCHARIDES.