Isolation method for water insoluble lignin components of a biomass

A process for treating a biomass to produce water insoluble lignin components of the biomass in water soluble form:

• a) pretreating the biomass with a first basic solution;
• b) subjecting the pretreated biomass to shear forces and pulses having a frequency sufficient to fractionate or extract components from the biomass without denaturing the water insoluble components of the biomass, wherein the pulses are between about 300 pulses per second and about 2000 pulses per second and delivered over a duration between about 1 second and about 3 seconds;
• c) subjecting the biomass to compressive force to separate a first liquid fraction from a first fractionated biomass;
• d) subjecting the first fractionated biomass to the same pulses and shear forces of step b);
• e) subjecting the first fractionated biomass to compressive forces to separate a second liquid fraction from a second fractionated biomass wherein the second fractionated biomass is substantially devoid of hemicelluloses and sugars;
• f) subjecting the second fractionated biomass substantially devoid of hemicelluloses and sugars to oxidation at a pH above 7;
• and
• g) subjecting the second fractionated biomass to compressive force to provide lignin in water soluble form.