Rapid soda process for pulping bagasse and other non-woody plant lignocellulose

Claim 1

IN THE SODA PROCESS FOR PULPING FIBROUS, NONWOODY LIGNOCELLULOSIC PLANT MATERIALS WITH AN AQUEOUS DIGESTING LIQUOR CONTAINING AN ACTIVE SODA PULPING AGENT COMPRISING PREDOMINANTLY SODIUM HYDROXIDE: THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES PRODUCING A STRONG, EASILY BLEACHABLE, PAPERMAKING PULP HAVING A PENTOSAN CONTENT OF THE ORDER OF 20-30% BY WEIGHT, BY THE COMBINATION OF PROCESS STEPS COMPRISING FORMING A MIXTURE COMPRISING THE PLANT MATERIAL AND THE AQUEOUS DIGESTING LIQUOR, THE RATIO OF LIQUOR TO OVEN-DRY PLANT MATERIAL BEING FROM 2:1 TO 15:1 AND THE PULPING AGENT USE BEING FROM 6-20% BY WEIGHT BASED ON THE WEIGHT OF THE OVEN-DRY PLANT MATERIAL, HEATING THE MIXTURE UNDER PRESSURE TO A TEMPERATURE OF FROM 130*210*C. OVER A RISE TIME PERIOD OF UP TO 45 MINUTES, AND MAINTAINING THE MIXTURE UNDER PRESSURE AT 130*-210*C. FOR A DIGESTION TIME PERIOD OF FROM 1-25 MINUTES, THE SHORTER DIGESTION PERIODS APPLYING TO THE HIGHER DIGESTION TEMPERATURES AND VICE VERSA.