TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - BIOTECHNOLOGY - Preferred Method: The subsequent biological conversion involves enzyme hydrolysis or ruminant digestibility. The method (M1) further involves delivering the gaseous ammonia to the reactor; optionally adding water to the biomass; and delivering a carrier gas to the reactor; and recycling at least a portion of the gaseous ammonia. In the method (M1), the temperature in the reactor increases instantaneously when the water and gaseous ammonia react and 29.5-80% of glucan and xylan is converted to glucose within less than or equal to 3 days; the reactor temperature is 25-200 (preferably 100-140) degrees C; the gaseous ammonia is delivered to the reactor at a pressure of 6.8-68 (preferably 6.8-20.4) atm; the biomass is comprised of 5-233 (preferably 5-100)% water on a dry weight basis; the gaseous ammonia reacts with the water in the biomass for 1 minute to 36 hours (preferably 1 minute to 120 minutes); the biomass is uniformly pretreated by the gaseous ammonia; the carrier gas is combined with the gaseous ammonia; the carrier gas and the gaseous ammonia are combined before the gaseous ammonia is delivered to the reactor; the carrier gas and the gaseous ammonia are combined after the gaseous ammonia is delivered to the reactor; the reactor is a fluidized bed reactor; and the reactor is a fixed bed reactor or a semi-fluidized bed reactor. The method (M1) is a continuous method or semi-continuous batch method. The method (M2) further involves removing the pretreated biomass from the reactor. In the method (M3), the ammonia is gaseous ammonia which condenses on the biomass; and when ammonia is liquid ammonia, then ammonia vapor is recovered by cooling ammonia vapor produced after pretreated biomass containing the ammonia is subjected to high pressure steam in an ammonia column, providing the ammonia vapor to a mixer, adding water to the mixer to produce an ammonia-water mixture, condensing the ammonia-water mixture to produce a condensed, ammonia-water mixture, pressurizing the condensed ammonia-water mixture to produce a pressurized, condensed ammonia-water mixture, and heating the pressurized, condensed ammonia-water mixture to produce a heated ammonia-water mixture. The method (M3) further involves providing the heated ammonia-water mixture to the reactor.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The carrier gas is oxidative. The carrier gas is air or inert gas. The inert gas is nitrogen or steam.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The polysaccharides include hemicellulose and cellulose and the reactivity is at least 60% conversion of the hemicellulose and 70% of cellulose to fermentable sugars within less than or equal to 24 hours. EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.