Process for pulping

Claim 1

A MECHANO-CHEMICAL PROCESS FOR PRODUCING PULP COMPRISING SUBJECTING AN UNDEFIBERED NON-WOODY FIBER MATERIAL TO THE ACTION OF A PULPING LIQUOR CONTAINING A CHEMICAL REAGENT IN SOLUTION IN A LIQUID MEDIUM, SAID REAGENT BEING CAPABLE OF DIGESTING SAID MATERIAL BY REMOVING LIGNIN AND OTHER ENCRUSTANTS THEREFROM, AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT FROM 90* TO 100* C AND AT ABOUT ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, SAID PULPING LIQUOR BEING ESSENTIALLY NONHYDROLYTIC UNDER SAID CONDITIONS OF TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY SUBJECTING THE INDIVIDUAL PIECES OF SAID MATERIAL TO VIGOROUS NON-CUTTING IMPACT BELOWS WHILE SUBMERGED IN THE PULPING LIQUOR AND WHILE THEY ARE IN A RELATIVELY FREE STATE, SAID NON-CUTTING IMPACT BLOWS COMPRISING MECHANICALLY-INDUCED CYCLES OF EXPRESSION AND ABSORPTION, EACH CYCLE COMPRISING COMPACTING THE PIECES IN AN UNCONFINED ZONE OF IMPACT TO EXPRESS LIQUID, IMMEDIATELY REMOVING SAID PIECES FROM THE ZONE OF IMPACT TO A ZONE ABSORPTION OF FRESH LIQUID AND RETURNING SAID PIECES CONTAINING ABSORBED LIQUID INTO ANOTHER ZONE OF IMPACT, AND CONTINUING THE SAID BLOWS FOR FROM 30 TO 60 MINUTES AT WHICH TIME A SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION OF LIGNIN HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM SAID PIECES AND THEY HAVE BECOME BROKEN UP INTO INDIVIDUAL FIBERS PRODUCING A PULP WHEREIN THE PROPORTION OF HEMICELLULOSES IS AT LEAST AS GREAT AS THAT CONTAINED IN THE ORIGINAL NON-WOODY FIBER MATERIAL.