TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The swelling agent is alkali metal oxides, alkali metal hydroxides, alkaline earth metal oxides, alkaline earth metal hydroxides, alkali silicates, alkali aluminates, alkali carbonates, amines, ammonia, ammonium hydroxide (preferred); tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide; lithium chloride; and N-methyl morpholine N-oxide and/or urea.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: The process further comprises removal or neutralization of the swelling agent after the biomass is contacted with the disrupting agent. The hydrolysis further comprises the step of contacting the polysaccharide, with a saccharification enzyme or enzymes under suitable conditions to produce fermentable sugars. The hydrolysis of the polysaccharide further comprises the step of acid hydrolysis of the polysaccharide to produce fermentable sugars. The process further comprises drying the polysaccharide. The disrupting agent is incorporated and retained within the polysaccharide. The process further comprises feeding back a portion of the fermentable sugar chemical back into the process, to contact the biomass with fermentable sugar as the disrupting agent producing a polysaccharide with increased accessibility for subsequent conversion to fermentable sugars by hydrolysis. Preferred Components: The disrupting agent is substantive to or becomes entrapped within the polysaccharide. The disrupting agent is fermentable sugars, nonfermentable sugars, hydroxyl or lactone containing molecules derived from sugar degradation, urea, amines or polyols. The disrupting agent has a molecular weight of 60-400 Daltons. The disrupting agent is organic molecules containing hydroxyl groups, lactones, or water soluble ethers. The disrupting agent is amines, amino acids, sulfates or phosphates. The disrupting agent comprises a fermentable sugar. The polysaccharide comprises cellulose and the fermentable sugar comprises glucose. The polysaccharide is cellulose, derivatized cellulose, hemicellulose, chitin, chitosan, guargum, pectin, alginate, agar, xanthan, starch, amylose, amylopectin, alternan, gellan, mutan, dextran, pullulan, fructan, locust bean gum, carrageenan, glycogen, glycosaminoglycans, murein or bacterial capsular polysaccharides. The biomass is corn grain, corn cobs, crop residues such as corn husks, corn stover, cotton, cotton linters, grasses, wheat, wheat straw, barley, barley straw, hay, rice straw, switch grass, waste paper, sugar cane bagasse, sorghum, soy, components obtained from milling of grains, trees, branches, roots, leaves, wood chips, sawdust, wood pulp, shrubs and bushes, vegetables, fruits, flowers, animal manure, bacteria, algae or fungi. The polysaccharide comprises cellulose. The cellulose comprises derivatized cellulose. The swelling agent comprises sodium hydroxide.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The derivatized cellulose is hydroxyethyl cellulose (preferred), ethylhydroxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose (preferred), carboxymethylhydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropylhydroxyethyl cellulose, methylcellulose, ethylcellulose, methylhydroxypropyl cellulose, methylhydroxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethylmethyl cellulose, hydrophobically modified carboxymethyl cellulose, hydrophobically modified hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydrophobically modified hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydrophobically modified ethylhydroxyethyl cellulose, hydrophobically modified carboxymethylhydroxyethyl cellulose, hydrophobically modified hydroxypropylhydroxyethyl cellulose, hydrophobically modified methyl cellulose, hydrophobically modified methylhydroxypropyl cellulose, hydrophobically modified methylhydroxyethyl cellulose, hydrophobically modified carboxymethylmethyl cellulose, nitrocellulose, cellulose acetate, cellulose sulfate, cellulose vinyl sulfate, cellulose phosphate, methylol cellulose or cellulose phosphonate. EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.