known to those skilled in the art u201c kappa u201d relates to the lignin content of the pulp and u201c brightness u201d relates to the whiteness of paper made from the pulp a softwood pulp was produced in a digester after a few stages of washing the pulp was stored in a high density storage tank the pulp kappa number before peroxide treatment was about 30 for several hours prior to the point where peroxide addition was started as shown on fig1 hydrogen peroxide was added to the high density tank at the rate of 10 pounds ton 0 5 on weight of pulp pulp stayed in the tank for approximately two hours at a temperature of 140 degrees fahrenheit and a ph of 10 5 no caustic was added to the pulp the pulp kappa as recorded by the analyzer was about 22 after the peroxide treatment the pulp was discharged from the tank washed with additional water and fed to the bleach plant a reduction of about 20 pounds ton pulp as equivalent chlorine was noted in the bleach plant a reduction of about 8 pounds ton of caustic was also realized in the bleach plant pulp quality was maintained and a slight increase in the final pulp brightness was achieved the kappa and.