Lignocellulosic biomass conversion

Process for producing monosaccharides, sugar based chemicals, biofuels or materials together with sulfonated lignin from a lignocellulosic biomass comprising at least the following steps:

• providing a lignocellulosic biomass;
• pretreating the lignocellulosic biomass, comprising:
• sulfite cooking at a temperature of not greater than 180° C., wherein the sulfite cooking comprises an acid cook comprising an amount of SO2 from 30 to 50% w/w, and an amount of base from 1 to 10% w/w;
• and
• dissolving the lignocellulosic biomass into a liquid “spent sulfite liquor” phase and a pulp phase;
• separating 60% or more of a sulfonated lignin from the pretreated lignocellulosic biomass into at least the liquid “spent sulfite liquor” phase;
• separating 70% or more of a cellulose from the pretreated lignocellulosic biomass into at least and the pulp phase;
• enzymatically hydrolyzing the pulp phase into a sugar chemistry platform comprising monosaccharides;
• and
• directly converting and/or further processing the sulfonated lignin of the liquid “spent sulfite liquor” phase into useful chemicals and/or materials.