TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The alkali metal hydroxide is sodium hydroxide. The alkaline metal oxide is calcium oxide. The salt-forming compound is carbon dioxide when in the step (B), the amount of alkali metal hydroxide is 25 - 50 pbw.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The carbohydrates are crystallized out of the aqueous solution in the step (D) and then fermented by yeast into ethanol. The carbohydrates are separated from the modified lignin and salt after the step (F) by membrane technology and then fermented by yeast into ethanol. Water is added to produce a solution containing 20 - 40% carbohydrates and then yeast is added to the solution to ferment the carbohydrates to form ethanol. EXAMPLE - An aqueous sodium hydroxide (100 parts by weight (pbw)) containing sodium hydroxide (20 pbw) and a dry biomass (100 pbw) containing sawdust, lawn clippings, weeds, twigs, leaves and pine needles are mixed and then heated to above the boiling point of water at ambient or elevated pressure to removed excess water and break the lignin-cellulose bond and then heated to 140 - 200 degreesC, while agitating at ambient pressure, such that the mixture did not burn for 5 - 60 minutes. It cooled to a solid mixture containing a little cellulose and water soluble modified sodium lignin, carbohydrates, lignin-cellulose resinous products, tall oil, turpentine and fatty oils. Water (400 pbw) was added to the solid mixture and the water soluble portion was dissolved. Carbon dioxide was added to react with the remaining sodium hydroxide. Then dilute sulfuric acid was added until the pH is 5 - 6.5, while agitating to produce dark-brown lignin-cellulose resinous product, which floated an aqueous solution of carbohydrates and salt to the tops. The lignin was precipitated. The lignin-cellulose resinous product was recovered by skimming it off. The aqueous solution of carbohydrates and salt was recovered by decanting. The lignin was washed with water to remove any salt and then dried. The lignin-cellulose resinous product and lignin was molded into useful products by heat and pressure. The aqueous solution of carbohydrates and salts is heated to concentrate the solution. After a few hours, the carbohydrates were crystallized out. The aqueous solution containing the salt was filtered off and the carbohydrates crystals were recovered. The carbohydrates crystals were added to water (2 gallons) to prepare an aqueous solution containing 25% carbohydrate. Saccaromyces bayanus (yeast) (3 g) was added to warm water (40 ml) and remained on top for 15 minutes and then stirred well to suspend the yeast in the water. This yeast was added to the aqueous carbohydrate solution and kept at 70 degreesF. The solution was stirred daily for 5 - 6 days. The gases from the fermentation process escaped thorough the airlock. The solution was left to stand for 1 week. The alcohol was distilled off. The alcohol was dehydrated by azeotropic distillation.