Sulfite process for making pulp having a tactile softness from hardwood chips

A process for making pulp from hardwood having a tactile sense of softness comprising the steps of:

• a. Providing hardwood chips having dimensions of from about 0.6 to about 2.5 centimeter;
• b. Introducing said chips into a digester;
• c. Removing substantially all the free oxygen from said chips;
• d. Providing a cooking liquor comprising from about 0.4% to about 3% by weight ammonia and from about 9% to about 14% by weight sulfur dioxide;
• e. Reacting the lignin in said chips by maintaining the temperature within said digester at less than about 110.degree. C. to form lignin products, wherein said chips are reacted under substantially oxygen-free conditions and substantially all of said chips are immersed in said cooking liquor;
• f. Increasing the temperature within said digester to from about 140.degree. C. to about 155.degree. C. at a rate of from about 0.75.degree. C. per minute to about 3.degree. C. per minute under substantially oxygen-free conditions;
• g. Hydrolyzing said lignin reaction products at a temperature of from about 140.degree. C. to 155.degree. C. at a pH of from about 2 to about 3;
• h. Decreasing rapidly the temperature within said digester;
• and wherein subsequent to step h, said pulp has a xylan content of between 6% and about 8% by weight on a dry pulp basis, a xylan to mannan weight ratio of between 2.5 and about 3.7 and a glucan content of between about 80% to 92%.