Freeness of paper products

A method for the treatment of a cellulose pulp suspension comprising:

• (i) subjecting cellulose pulp fibres to an aqueous solution of a preformed manganese transition metal catalyst and hydrogen peroxide at pH from 6 to 13, wherein the manganese transition metal catalyst is present at a concentration from 0.0001 to 1 kg/tonne oven-dry pulp, and the hydrogen peroxide is present at a concentration from 0.1 to 100 kg/tonne oven-dry pulp;
• (ii) subjecting the cellulose pulp fibres treated by step (i) to a refining process until a Shopper Riegler (SR) value of from 10 to 90° is reached and the resultant pulp is processed into paper, tissue or board;
• and
• wherein the manganese transition metal catalyst is a mononuclear Mn(II), Mn(III), Mn(IV) or dinuclear Mn(II)Mn(II), Mn(II)Mn(III), Mn(III)Mn(III), Mn(III)Mn(IV) or Mn(IV)Mn(IV) transition metal catalyst, having a ligand of formula (I):
• p is 3;
• R is independently selected from the group consisting of:
• hydrogen, C1-C6-alkyl, CH2CH2OH, CH2COOH, and pyridin-2-ylmethyl;
• and
• R1, R2, R3, and R4 are independently selected from the group consisting of:
• H, C1-C4-alkyl, and C1-C4-alkylhydroxy.