TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The first catalyst comprises a material consisting of zinc oxide (ZnO)/chromium oxide (Cr2O3), copper (Cu)/ZnO, Cu/ZnO/aluminum oxide (Al2O3), Cu/ZnO/Cr2O3, Cu/thorium oxide, cobalt (Co)/sulfur (S), molybdenum (Mo)/S, Co/Mo/S, nickel (Ni)/S, Ni/Mo/S, Ni/Co/Mo/S, or their combination with manganese (Mn) and/or vanadium (V), where the first catalyst optionally includes a basic promoter. The second catalyst comprises a material consisting of ZnO/Cr2O3, Cu/ZnO, Cu/ZnO/Al2O3, cupric oxide (CuO)/cobalt oxide (CoO), CuO/CoO/A12O3, Co/S, Mo/S, Co/Mo/S, rhodium (Rh)/titanium (Ti)/silicon dioxide (SiO2), Rh/Mn/SiO2, Rh/Ti/iron/iridium/SiO2, Rh/Mn/mobile crystalline material (MCM-41), Ni/S, Ni/Mo/S, Ni/Co/Mo/S, or their combination with Mn and/or V, and the second catalyst optionally includes a basic promoter. The first and second catalysts have substantially the same composition.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Components: The devolatilization unit is a multiple-stage unit in which both the gas phase and the solid phase pass through at least one stage of the devolatilization unit and at least a portion of the gas phase is removed from the devolatilization unit prior to a final stage. The first reaction zone is in a first reactor, the second reaction zone is in a second reactor, and an output stream of the first reactor comprises syngas introduced from the first reaction zone into the second reaction zone, further comprising separating from the output stream at least a portion of the methanol produced in the first reaction zone. The first reaction zone and second reaction zone are both in a single reactor and either of the reaction zones comprises at least two reactors.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The converting in step (c) comprises separation, and the product is purified hydrogen or purified carbon monoxide. The step (b) is performed in the presence of free oxygen in an amount of 0.1-50% of the stoichiometric amount of oxygen to completely combust the carbon contained in the solid phase produced in step (a). The step (a) is further performed in the presence of added steam. In the method, added steam is present in an amount that is less than 50% (preferably less than 10%) of the stoichiometric amount of water to completely convert the feed material to carbon monoxide and hydrogen. In the method, a first amount of steam is present from initial moisture in the carbon-containing feed material, a second amount of steam is added during step (a), and the combined first amount and second amount of steam is less than or greater than the stoichiometric amount of water to completely convert the feed material to carbon monoxide and hydrogen. In the method, step (b) is performed in the presence of free oxygen in an amount of 0.1-50% of the stoichiometric amount of oxygen to completely combust the carbon contained in the solid phase produced in step (a). The amount of free oxygen is less than 25% (preferably less than 10%) of the stoichiometric amount of oxygen to completely combust the carbon contained in the solid phase produced in step (a). The step (b) is performed in the presence of steam. The method further comprises the substeps of (i) measuring the composition of the gas phase and/or the solid phase, (ii) determining a suitable amount of free oxygen based on predicted partial oxidation of at least some of the composition to syngas, and (iii) introducing a gas containing the suitable amount of free oxygen. The gas phase is removed, at least in part, during the step (a). In the method, different amounts of oxygen are added across stages of the devolatilization unit. In the method, oxygen is added to the devolatilization unit prior to removal of at least a portion of the gas phase, and after at least a portion of the gas phase is removed, the oxygen is added to the devolatilization unit. In the method, a first amount of oxygen is added prior to removal of at least a portion of the gas phase, and a second amount of oxygen is added after removal of at least a portion of the gas phase, and the first amount of oxygen is greater than the second amount of oxygen. In the method, prior to step (b), the solid phase is combined with gas removed during the step (a). The method further comprises introducing at least some of stream produced in one or more steps consisting of steps (a)-(c) to a reactor configured with an input for a gas comprising oxygen, where at least some of the stream is partially oxidized to produce additional syngas. The step (c) comprises the substeps of: introducing a first amount of syngas into a first reaction zone comprising at least a first catalyst; converting at least a portion of the first amount of syngas to methanol with the first catalyst; introducing the methanol to a second reaction zone comprising at least a second catalyst; introducing a second amount of syngas to the second reaction zone; and reacting at least a portion of the methanol introduced into the second reaction zone with at least a portion of the second amount of syngas with the second catalyst to produce a product stream comprising ethanol. The method further comprises introducing additional or recycled carbon dioxide into the first reaction zone, where at least a portion of the carbon dioxide is reacted with hydrogen present to produce carbon dioxide-derived methanol. The carbon dioxide was produced during step (a) and/or step (b) and recycled into the first reaction zone. The method of forming the product comprises: (a) devolatilizing the carbon-containing feed material to form the gas phase and the solid phase in the devolatilization unit, where the gas phase comprises syngas; and (b) converting the syngas to the product, where step (a) is performed in the presence of free oxygen in an amount of 0.1-25% of the stoichiometric amount of oxygen to completely combust the feed material. Preferred Components: The amount of free oxygen is less than 10% of the stoichiometric amount of oxygen to completely combust the feed material. The amount of free oxygen is less than 1% (preferably less than 0.5%) or greater than about 1% of the stoichiometric amount of oxygen to completely combust the feed material. The initial ratio of free oxygen to steam (O2/H2O) in step (b) is less than 1 (preferably 0.01-0.2). The second amount of syngas includes syngas that did not react in the first reaction zone or syngas that was separated and recycled from the product stream. EXAMPLE - None given.