Patent ID: 8668806

Claim:
A method of producing a paper product, the method comprising: (a) providing a charge of lignocellulosic material; (b) contacting the charge of lignocellulosic material with water, the water and charge of lignocellulosic material maintained at a temperature in the range of between about 130° C. and about 180° C. and lowering the pH to between about 3 and about 6.9 by producing acid from the reaction of the water and lignocellulosic material for a period in the range of between about 10 minutes and about 6 hours, wherein an aqueous extract and extracted lignocellulosic materials are obtained and wherein the acid comprises acetic acid; (c) pulping the extracted lignocellulosic materials to produce a pulp, wherein the pulp has a viscosity of greater than about 30 cP; (d) recovering hydrolyzate from the pulp; (e) contacting the pulp with at least one alkali; (f) mechanically refining the pulp; and (g) forming the paper product using the pulp.