acid and an alkali or alkaline earth metal carbonate bicarbonate oxide or hydroxide in amounts sufficient to form the neutral monoperoxysulfuric acid salt the amount of each reactant may range from about 1 to about 2 moles hydrogen peroxide from about 1 to about 3 moles sulfuric acid and from about 2 to about 6 moles of alkali or alkaline earth metal carbonate bicarbonate oxide or hydroxide depending on the amount of sulfuric acid used and the ph required it is preferred to maintain an excess of a buffering compound in the solution such as sodium bicarbonate in order to more easily maintain the desired ph throughout the treatment stage accordingly the solution may contain as much as about 15 to about 20 wt buffer such as sodium bicarbonate in addition to the alkali or alkaline earth metal salt of the monoperoxysulfuric acid the amount of alkali or alkaline earth metal salt of monoperoxysulfuric acid used to treat the pulp is preferably within the range of from about 0 1 to about 8 wt as h 2 o 2 based on the oven dried weight of the pulp more preferably from about 0 2 to about 5 wt and most preferably from about.