A process for increasing
digestion efficiency of lignocellulosic material in a treatment vessel includes providing lignocellulosic material comprising
lignocellulosic biomass, providing an
alkyl polyglycoside, an alkoxylated
alcohol, and a
white liquor comprising
sodium hydroxide and
sodium sulfide, combining the lignocellulosic material, the
alkyl polyglycoside, the alkoxylated
alcohol, and the
white liquor to form a mixture, and heating the mixture in the treatment vessel to a temperature of from about 125° C. to about 185° C. to digest at least a portion of the lignocellulosic material. The
alkyl polyglycoside and the alkoxylated
alcohol are present in the mixture in a weight ratio of actives from about 5:95 to about 95:5, respectively. The mixture is free of added surfactants that are not the
alkyl polyglycoside and / or the alkoxylated alcohol. The process has increased
digestion efficiency as compared to a process that does not utilize a combination of the
alkyl polyglycoside and the alkoxylated alcohol.