TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The mixing and exposing steps are carried out with substantially no aqueous component. The high temperature condition is 200-600 degrees C, preferably 375-500 degrees C. The mixture or neutralized mixture is exposed to the high temperature condition for an extended period of time, where the extended period of time is one second to 4 hours. Preferred Components: The formic acid salt is an alkali formic acid salt, an alkaline earth formic acid salt and/or a base-forming metal oxide. The formic acid salt is calcium formate, magnesium formate, sodium formate, potassium formate (all preferred), lithium formate and/or zinc formate. The levulinic acid salt-containing feedstock is calcium levulinate, magnesium levulinate, sodium levulinate, potassium levulinate (all preferred), lithium levulinate and/or zinc levulinate. The alkali base, alkaline earth base or base-forming metal oxide is hydroxides, carbonates and/or oxides of calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, lithium or zinc. The formic acid is present and mixed with the levulinic acid-containing feedstock as a result of producing the levulinic acid-containing feedstock. The levulinic acid containing feedstock is hydrolysates comprising cellulosic biomass, wood, wood waste, algal biomass, food waste, sludges and/or municipal solid waste. EXAMPLE - Calcium hydroxide (550 g), water (550 g), levulinic acid (703 g) and formic acid (307 g) were mixed to obtain slurry of salt. The slurry was dried under ambient conditions, and the dried salt was crushed into particles. The dried salt (1 kg) was added to a stirred, semibatch reactor (3 l) in which the temperature was ramped from room temperature to 500 degrees C over 3 hours. The reactor was continually purged with nitrogen at a flow rate of 0.5 standard liter/minute, and the products were continuously condensed by a condenser (1 degrees C) followed by an electrostatic precipitator to obtain hydrocarbon oil with an yield of 0.13-0.15 kg oil/kg of salt fed.