TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Components: The system further comprises: a vacuum pump in fluid connection with the second fluid flow path for producing a vacuum in the second fluid flow path; and a control valve that in a first position provides a non-disrupted flow in the recirculating fluid flow path and in a second position provides a second fluid flow path. The second fluid flow path is from the outlet of the reaction vessel to an inlet of a pelletizer. The second fluid flow path is from the outlet of the reaction vessel to the inlet of the extruder and from the outlet of the extruder to the inlet of a pelletizer. The thin film evaporator comprises a thin film polymerization/devolatilization device. The extruder is a twin screw extruder. The filtration device is in fluid communication with the thin film polymerization/devolatilization device.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Method: The method further comprises converting the amino- alpha , omega -dicarboxylic acid to product. In the method, a feedstock is pretreated with at least one of irradiation, sonication, oxidation, mechanical size reduction, pyrolysis and steam explosion to produce the reduced recalcitrance lignocellulosic and/or cellulosic material. The irradiation is performed with an electron beam. The step of converting the amino- alpha , omega -dicarboxylic acid to the product comprises chemically or biochemically converting e.g. converting aspartic acid to a polyamide, where the chemically converting is polymerization, isomerization, esterification, amidation, cyclization, oxidation, reduction, disproportionation and/or phosgenation. The treating is performed with at least one enzyme to release at least one sugar (such as glucose, xylose, sucrose, maltose, lactose, mannose, galactose and/or arabinose, or their dimers such as cellobiose, heterodimers such as sucrose, and/or their oligomers) from the lignocellulosic and/or cellulosic material prior to producing the amino- alpha , omega -dicarboxylic acid. The step of producing the amino- alpha , omega -dicarboxylic acid comprises treating initially to release at least one sugar from the lignocellulosic and/or cellulosic material followed by fermenting one of the sugars with the microorganisms. The method further comprises purifying the sugars by electrodialysis, distillation, centrifugation, filtration or ion exchange. The converting comprises polymerizing the amino- alpha , omega --dicarboxylic acid to a polymer, where the polymerizing comprises direct condensation, azeotropic condensation (preferred) or cyclization of the amino- alpha , omega -dicarboxylic acid, followed by ring opening polymerization. The polymerizing step further comprises using coupling agents and/or chain extenders. The method further comprises utilizing catalysts and/or promoters consisting of protonic acids such as phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, methane sulfonic acid, p-toluene sulfonic acid or supported sulfonic acid, metals such as magnesium, aluminum, titanium, zinc or tin, metal oxides such as titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, germanium dioxide, zirconium oxide, tin(II) oxide, tin dioxide or antimony oxide, metal halides such as zinc chloride, tin(II) chloride, tin(IV) chloride, manganese(II) acetate, Fe2(LA)3 (sic), cobalt acetate, nickel acetate, copper acetate, Zn(LA)2 (sic), yttrium tris(acetylacetonate), aluminum isopropoxide, titanium(IV) butoxide, titanium(IV) oxyacetylacetonate and/or dibutyltin oxide. The method further comprises conducting at least a portion of the polymerization at 100-240 degrees C, under vacuum of 0.0001-300 torr. The polymerization method includes cyclizing the amino- alpha , omega -dicarboxylic acid followed by ring opening. The converting further includes blending the polymer with a second polymer. The amino- alpha , omega -dicarboxylic acid amine group is reacted with a protecting group to form a protected amino- alpha , omega -dicarboxylic acid. The method further comprises co-polymerizing the amino- alpha , omega -dicarboxylic acid or the protected amino- alpha , omega -dicarboxylic acid with a monomer. The method further comprises combining the polymer with fillers. The combining step further includes extrusion and/or compression molding. The method further comprises crosslinking the polymer. In the method, a crosslinking agent is utilized to crosslink the polymer and the crosslinking agent consists 5,5'-bis(oxepane-2-one)(bis- epsilon -caprolactone), spiro-bis-dimethylene carbonate, peroxides, dicumyl peroxide, alpha , alpha '-bis(tert-butylperoxy)-diisopropylbenzene benzoyl peroxide, unsaturated alcohols, hydroxyethyl methacrylate, 2-butene-1,4-diol, unsaturated anhydrides, maleic anhydride, saturated epoxides, glycidyl methacrylate and/or irradiation. The method further comprises processing the polymer by injection molding, blow molding or thermoforming. The method further comprises combining the polymer with a fragrance. The fragrances are combined with the polymer at 0.005-20 (preferably 0.25-2.5) wt.%. The converting further includes blending the polymer with a plasticizer. The method further comprises grafting a molecule to the polymer. The method further includes treating the polymer with a peroxide, heating above 120 degrees C and/or irradiation. The method further comprises shaping, molding, carving, extruding and/or assembling the polymer into the product. In the polymer or copolymer making method: an extruder is fluid communication with the thin film polymerization/devolatilization device and the effluent of the extruder is the polyhydroxy-carboxylic acid polymer or effluent of the extruder is recycled to the thin film evaporator; at least a part of the thin film evaporator operates at 100-260 degrees C and at a pressure of less than or equal to 0.0001 torr; and prior to transferring the polyhydroxy-carboxylic acid to a thin film polymerization/devolatilization device or during operation of the thin film polymerization/devolatilization device a catalyst deactivator and/or stabilizer agent is added. The polymer of copolymer making method comprises removing the deactivated/stabilized catalyst prior to, during or after the thin film polymerization/devolatilization device by a filtration device. Preferred Components: The amino- alpha , omega -dicarboxylic acid is aspartic acid, glutamic acid (both preferred), or an amino substituted malonic, adipic, pimelic, suberic, azelaic, sebacic acid or their substituted derivatives, preferably 2-aminoadipic acid. The coupling agents and/or chain extenders are phosgene, triphosgene, carbonyl diimidazole, dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, isocyanate, acid chlorides, acid anhydrides, epoxides, thiirane, oxazoline and/or orthoester. The second polymer comprises polyglycols, polyvinyl acetate, polyolefins, styrenic resins, polyacetals, poly(meth)acrylates, polycarbonate, polybutylene succinate, elastomers, polyurethanes, natural rubber, polybutadiene, neoprene and/or silicone. The monomer comprises elastomeric units, lactones, carbonates, morpholinediones, epoxides, 1,4-benzodioxepin-2,5-(3H)-dione, glycosalicylide, 1,4-benzodioxepin-2,5-(3H, 3-methyl)-dione, lactosalicylide, dibenzo-1,5-dioxacin-6-12-dione disalicylide, morpholine-2,5-dione, 1,4-dioxane-2,5-dione glycolide, oxepane-2-one, epsilon -caprolactone, 1,3-dioxan-2-one trimethylene carbonate, 2,2-dimethyltrimethylene carbonate, 1,5-dioxepan-2-one, 1,4-dioxan-2-one p-dioxanone, gamma -butyrolactone, beta -butyrolactone, beta -methyl- delta -valerolactone, 1,4-dioxan-2,3-dione ethylene oxalate, 3-(benzyloxycarbonylmethyl)-1,4-dioxan-2,5-dione, ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, 5,5'(oxepane-2-one), 2,4,7,9-tetraoxaspiro(5,5)undecane-3,8-dione, spiro-bid-dimethylene carbonate (sic), diols and/or diamines. The filler consists of silicates, layered silicates, polymer and organically modified layered silicate, synthetic mica, carbon, carbon fibers, glass fibers, boric acid, talc, montmorillonite, clay, starch, corn starch, wheat starch, cellulose fibers, paper, rayon, non-woven fibers, wood flours, whiskers of potassium titanate, whiskers of aluminum borate, 4,4'-thiodiphenol and/or glycerol. The method further comprises combining the polymer with a dye. The dye is blue 3, blue 356, brown 1, orange 29, violet 26, violet 93, yellow 42, yellow 54 and/or yellow 82. The fragrance is wood, evergreen, redwood, peppermint, cherry, strawberry, peach, lime, spearmint, cinnamon, anise, basil, bergamot, black pepper, camphor, chamomile, citronella, eucalyptus, pine, fir, geranium, ginger, grapefruit, jasmine, juniper berry, lavender, lemon, mandarin, marjoram, musk, myrrh, orange, patchouli, rose, rosemary, sage, sandalwood, tea tree, thyme, wintergreen, ylang ylang, vanilla and/or new car. The plasticizer is triacetin, tributyl citrate, polyethylene glycol, fully acetylated monoglyceride based on fully hydrogenated castor oil, glycerin and acetic acid, and/or diethyl bishydroxymethyl malonate. The molecule is a monomer or a polymer. The product is a polymer including at least one of the converted amino- alpha , omega -dicarboxylic acids in the polymer backbone. The polymer is crosslinked. The polymer is a graft copolymer. The product further comprises a non-amino- alpha , omega -dicarboxylic acid in the polymer backbone. The amino- alpha , omega -dicarboxylic acid includes aspartic and/or glutamic acid. The product further comprises blending the polymer with a second polymer, a plasticizer, an elastomer, a fragrance, a dye, a pigment and/or a filler. The amino- alpha , omega -dicarboxylic acid oligomer is derived from the monomer group consisting of D-aspartic acid, L-aspartic acid, D-glutamic acid and/or L-glutamic acid. EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.