Abstract: High yield pulping is achieved by cooking a lignocellulosic material in a confined chamber in the absence of added oxygen at elevated temperatures up to 240.degree. C. with an initially neutral or acidic mixture of alcohol and water in volume ratio between 50:50 and virtually anhydrous alcohol cooking liquor, using a lower aliphatic alcohol namely methanol, ethanol or n-propanol, carrying in solution at least about 0.002 moles per liter of a magnesium, calcium or barium salt as a primary catalyst soluble in at least catalytic amounts in the mixture to form barium, calcium and magnesium ions. The cooking time may range from at least two (2) minutes to under three (3) hours. The process yields bright, free-fiber pulp even at residual lignin of 80 Kappa number as high as 80% of softwood and up to 75% of hardwood weight, of viscosity (TAPPI 0.5% Cu En) above 18 up to 60 centipoise. Addition of trace amounts of an acidic compound as a secondary catalyst increases the rate of delignification.

Abstract: Comminuted cellulosic materials which may or may not contain lignin are partially or totally hydrolyzed or saccharified by an improved organosolv process using an aqueous acetone solvent mixture containing a small amount of an acidic compound and containing at least about 70 percent by volume of acetone and up to virtually anhydrous acetone. The process is performed at elevated reaction temperatures, preferably at 145.degree. C. to 230.degree. C., for a limited period of time and then with cooling such that the resultant dissolved sugars from the hydrolysis are not degraded into non-sugars. In particular the reaction is conducted such that the cellulosic material is dissolved and such that at least ninety percent or more of available sugars in the cellulosic material are recovered. Unexpectedly it has been found that acetone at high concentration forms stable complexes with the sugars which prevents their degradation and also facilitates separation of the sugars.

Abstract: Cellulose-containing material is rapidly saccharified to convert pentosans and hexosans to sugars by cooking under pressure at from 180.degree. C. to 220.degree. C. with acetone-water solvent mixture carrying from 0.05 to 0.25 weight percent of phosphoric, sulfuric or hydrochloric acids.A predominantly cellulosic material, e.g. a delignified pulp, is hydrolysed to yield relatively pure glucose recoverable from liquor which is flowed through the cellulose, then withdrawn and cooled and neutralized within an elapsed time of a minute or less.Whole wood is nearly totally dissolvable by the process, yielding mixed pentoses and hexoses. The dehydration and degradation products of sugars are formed by prolonging retention time of liquor from 20 to 45 minutes.

Abstract: The disclosed process for making cast vegetable/mineral structural products having flame retardant properties utilize a major volume portion of ligneus plant fragments such as soft and hardwoods, sugarcane, cereal and fiber plant stalks, and a minor volume proportion of a mineral binder deposit comprised of magnesium or calcium oxyphosphates and inert filler particles. Fragments having thicknesses ranging from 0.3 mm to 8 mm including chips, shavings, strips, strands, fibre bundles, slivers, fibres and peeled and sawn veneer sheets, have applied to their surfaces an aqueous solution of ammonium polyphosphate or soluble acid phosphate salt supplying from 0.15 to 0.40 parts of P.sub.2 O.sub.5 as phosphate ion per part of fragments by weight, and particulate cement solids comprised of MgO or CaO or Mg(OH).sub.2 or Ca(OH).sub.2 or MgCO.sub.3 or CaCO.sub.3 ranging from 0.25 to 1.0 part per part of fragment, and from 0.01 to 0.

Abstract: The disclosed process for making cast vegetable/mineral structural products having flame retardant properties utilize a major volume portion of ligneus plant fragments such as soft and hardwoods, sugarcane, cereal and fiber plant stalks, and a minor volume proportion of a mineral binder deposit comprised of magnesium or calcium oxyphosphates and inert filler particles. Fragments having thickness ranging from 0.3 mm to 8 mm including chips, shavings, strips, strands, fibre bundles, slivers, fibres and peeled and sawn veneer sheets, have applied to their surfaces an aqueous solution of ammonium polyphosphate or soluble acid phosphate salt supplying from 0.15 to 0.40 parts of P.sub.2 O.sub.5 as phosphate ion per part of fragments by weight, and particulate cement solids comprised of MgO or CaO or Mg(OH).sub.2 or Ca(OH).sub.2 or MgCO.sub.3 or CaCO.sub.3 ranging from 0.25 to 1.0 part per part of fragment, and from 0.01 to 0.