TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Component: The hydrolyzing step is carried out in the presence of an acidic catalyst. The acidic catalyst is a mineral acid which is hydrochloric acid. The inorganic molten salt hydrate comprises zinc chloride, calcium chloride and/or lithium chloride. The hydrogenating step is carried out in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst. The hydrogenation catalyst comprises noble transition metal. It comprises ruthenium. It also comprises activated carbon as a carrier. The inorganic molten salt medium comprises greater than or equal to 60 wt.% zinc chloride. It comprises inorganic salt from zinc chloride.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Method: The method further comprises hydrogenating the monosaccharides in the inorganic molten salt hydrate medium to the corresponding sugar alcohols. It further comprises dehydrating the sugar alcohols in the inorganic molten salt medium to form the corresponding anhydro sugars and/or dianhydro sugars. The method further comprises derivatizing, in the inorganic molten salt hydrate medium, the hydroxyl groups of the dianhydro sugars to form derivatized dianhydro sugars having reduced solubility in the inorganic molten salt hydrate medium. The derivatization comprises etherification or esterification. An ethyl ether or methyl ether is formed. The derivatized dianhydro sugars are separated from the inorganic molten salt medium. Cellulose is converted to sorbitol and/or anhydrosorbitol and dianhydrosorbitol (isosorbide). Hemicellulose is converted to xylitol and/or anhydroxylitol. Saccharose is converted to isosorbide and isomannide. EXAMPLE - Ball milled pine wood samples (0.5 g) were mixed with salt solution (6 g) with zinc chloride (70 wt.%) and hydrochloric acid of 0.4 molal. The reaction was effected for 30, 60 and 90 minutes. The product was ultracentrifuged and full separation of a black/violet material, lignin, at the top, and a clear salt/sugar solution at the bottom. When salt solutions were dissolved in 10 times the water weight, some cellulose precipitated in the 30 minute product, and no precipitation took place in the 60 and 90 minutes products. At 30 minutes glucose oligomers, glucose and 5C and lower sugar peaks were observed in HPLC. At 60 and 90 minutes the same HPLC peak areas were obtained, higher than in 30 minutes and no oligomers could be seen, meaning full hydrolysis had taken place. The results showed that in the first hydrolysis step it was possible to obtain from real biomass the full conversion of cellulose and hemicellulose to the corresponding monosaccharide sugars and separation of lignin from the sugars.