A process concept based on oxygen-bicarbonate digestion of thin chips, wet combustion liquor recovery, and ozone bleaching is described for fully bleached hardwood pulp. Pulp yield is in the range of 52-55%, and pulp quality, though lower than that of kraft, is probably acceptable for many paper grades in which hardwood pulps are used. The process has a very low pollution potential because it is sulfur- and chlorine-free. Reaction engineering studies have defined the requirements of an oxygen pulping digester using 1-2-mm chips. The most important feature of this digester is high liquor circulation, which supplies adequate and uniformly distributed oxygen for delignification and for temperature control.