A process for obtaining inorganic salt and acetate salt from cellulosic biomass is disclosed. The cellulosic biomass is pretreated by adding one or more than one acid or base to produce a pretreated cellulosic biomass comprising acetic acid or acetate salt. One or more than one base or acid is then added to the pretreated cellulosic biomass to adjust the pretreated cellulosic biomass to a pH of about 4.0 to about 6.0 to produce a neutralized cellulosic biomass comprising inorganic salt and acetate salt. The neutralized biomass is then hydrolyzed by cellulase enzymes to produce a sugar stream. Streams arising from the processing of the cellulosic biomass to sugar are subjected to ion exclusion chromatography performed at pH 5.0 to about 10.0 to produce a stream comprising an inorganic salt and an acetate salt.