Abstract: A method for improving heat economy in the batchwise digestion of lignocellulosic material especially when using a batch digester with a digestion or cooking liquor in which the digestion or cooking chemicals are dissolved, such as in sulphate, sulphite, bisulphite, oxygen, peroxide and ammonium hydroxide digestion processes, and also in the manufacture of high yield semichemical pulps.A superatmospheric gas pressure is applied above the level of the liquor in a batch digester; the level of the digester liquor is determined after the liquor has been absorbed by a batch lignocellulosic material; the level of free digestion liquor is then adjusted to that level providing an amount including the absorbed liquor to digest the lignocellulosic material; and then the material is digested under the superatmospheric pressure to form cellulose pulp.

Abstract: A process is provided for producing cellulose pulp of high brightness, which comprises pulping lignocellulosic material such as wood with oxygen under superatmospheric pressure in two stages, in the first at a pH within the range from about 6 to about 9, and in the second at a more alkaline pH of at least about 10.