A modified nitric acid process for wood pulping

California's wood processing operations provide sufficient residuals to supply a number of pulping plants with adequate raw material. At present, a large percentage of this raw material must be destroyed in order to dispose of it. This results in waste of huge quantities of potential pulpwood. A major problem in utilizing the residuals in conventional pulping processes, as is done extensively in other states, has concerned the use of water. In pulping, effluents are produced which contain solids. These solids may be only a fraction of the total pulping chemical and wood going into the process but, based on the large tonnage produced, the material does introduce certain problems with respect to its disposal in a receiving water. Process designs are available which tend to minimize or even eliminate these problems, but the steps involved are generally expensive and non-productive.