In the Soda-AQ process, anthraquinone (AQ) may be used as a pulping additive to decrease the carbohydrate degradation.
[1] A precursor to the soda pulping process was the paper making process developed by Matthias Koops in 1801 which involved washing wood shavings in limewater, adding soda crystals and then boiling the mixture.
Using agricultural crops rather than wood has the added advantage of reducing deforestation.
Due to the ease with which bagasse can be chemically pulped, bagasse requires less bleaching chemicals than wood pulp to achieve a bright, white sheet of paper.
Silicate removal from green liquor in a soda mill can be achieved by lowering the pH of the liquor with CO2-containing flue gases from the lime kiln or other sources.