TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The inert gas is nitrogen, argon, helium, neon, krypton, xenon, radon and/or carbon dioxide.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: The process of refining sugar stream by acidifying the sugar stream, further comprises heating the activated carbon to 100-300 degrees C to produce heat activated carbon, where the contacting is performed with heat activated carbon and the heat activated carbon is at a temperature greater than the sugar stream. The process of producing the refined sugar stream, further comprises: heating the activated carbon to 100-300 degrees C to produce heat activated carbon, where the contacting is performed with heat activated carbon and the heat activated carbon is at a temperature greater than the sugar stream; and acidifying the sugar stream to a pH of 1-4 by adding an acid to produce an acidified sugar stream, where contacting is performed with the acidified sugar stream. The process of refining-1 sugar stream, further comprises: acidifying the sugar stream to pH of 1-4 by adding an acid to produce an acidified sugar stream, where the contacting is performed with the acidified sugar stream; pretreating or hydrolyzing a biomass comprising cellulosic, hemicellulosic or lignocellulosic material to produce the sugar stream. The heating the activated carbon is to temperature preferably 200 degrees C. The heating is performed for 1-48 hours, preferably 4-24 hours in an oven, autoclave or vacuum. The contacting is performed within 4 hours of heating, preferably 30 minutes of heating. The heat activated carbon is stored in a non oxidizing environment, in an inert gas, oxygen free environment or water free environment before contacting. The sugar stream was produced by pretreating or hydrolyzing a biomass comprising cellulosic, hemicellulosic or lignocellulosic material. The pretreating or hydrolyzing the biomass comprises mechanical size reduction, acid treatment, enzymatic hydrolysis (all preferred), hot water treatment, base treatment, steam explosion, acid-catalyzed steam explosion and/or ammonia fiber/freeze explosion. The sugar stream was produced by: either pretreating a biomass comprising lignocellulosic material with hot water or an acid to solubilize hemicellulose in the biomass, separating solubilized hemicellulose from remaining lignocellulosic solids and enzymatically hydrolyzing cellulose in the remaining lignocellulosic solids; or pretreating biomass comprising cellulosic, hemicellulosic or lignocellulosic material to produce a pretreated biomass comprising solid particles and optionally a yield of 5 carbons monomer and/or dimmers that is at least 50% of a theoretical maximum, where pretreating comprises hydration of the biomass in an aqueous medium to produce a hydrated biomass, mechanical size reduction of the hydrated biomass to produce the solid particles and heating the hydrated biomass to produce the pretreated biomass comprising the optional yield of C5 monosaccharides and/or disaccharides and hydrolyzing the pretreated biomass composition with at least one enzyme to produce the sugar stream. The processes further comprise: heating the sugar stream prior to contacting with the activated carbon; contacting the sugar stream with diatomaceous earth; and removing the activated carbon from the sugar stream after sufficient time. The step of contacting the sugar stream with heat activated carbon is performed for 30 minutes to 5 hours, preferably 1-2 hours. The sugar stream is agitated, mixed, stirred, blended, shaken, sonicated, subjected to bubbling with a gas and/or subjected to bubbling with an inert gas during some or all of the contacting. The originator sugar stream was produced by pretreating or hydrolyzing a biomass comprising cellulosic, hemicellulosic or lignocellulosic material. Preferred Components: The temperature of the heat activated carbon during contacting is greater than room temperature, 65 degrees C or greater, preferably 200 degrees C. The acidifying the sugar stream is to the pH of preferably 1.5-3. The sugar stream has a total sugar concentration of 5-60%, preferably 15-40%. The aqueous medium comprises an acid, which is sulfuric acid, peroxyacetic acid, lactic acid, formic acid, acetic acid, citric acid, phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid, sulfurous acid, chloroacetic acid, dichloroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid, trifluoroacetic acid, oxalic acid and/or benzoic acid. The sugar stream is a crude sugar stream, hydrolysate from the pretreatment and hydrolysis of biomass comprising cellulose, hemicellulose or lignocellulose. The sugar stream comprises 5 carbons sugars and/or 6 carbons sugars. At least 70%, preferably at least 90% of sugars in the sugar stream are 5 carbons sugars or at least 70%, preferably at least 95% of sugars in the sugar stream are 6 carbons sugars. The sugars in the sugar stream are monomers and/or dimers. The sugar stream is at 45-100 degrees C, preferably 55-75 degrees C. The activated carbon is granular activated carbon, powdered activated carbon (preferred) and/or graphene. The activated carbon is contained within the sugar stream at a concentration of 1-20%, preferably 10% during contacting. The activated carbon has particle size of 5-50 microns. The activated carbon has particle size averaging 5-10 microns. The concentration of total sugars is preferably 15-60 wt/vol.%. The concentration of the inhibitors is preferably at least 80% less than in the originator sugar stream. The concentration of at least one aromatic or phenolic compound is preferably at least 70% less than in the originator sugar stream. The transparency is at least 75% higher than in the originator sugar stream. EXAMPLE - 50% Sugar solution (hardwood derived sugars) was pretreated with 3 vol/wt.% sulfur dioxide at 195 degrees C for 10 minutes. Following pretreatment, the hardwood was washed to remove 5 carbons sugars. The hardwood was then enzymatically hydrolyzed and then concentrated to 50% total sugars using evaporation. Following concentration, pH of the hardwood was adjusted to 2 using concentrated sulfuric acid. The hardwood was then heated at 50 degrees C and retained at that temperature for 1 hour. After heating the sugars, 10 g (20% wt/vol.%) of carbon, activated at 200 degrees C for 24 hours, was added to the sugars. 0.6 g of diatomaceous earth was also added to the 50 ml sugar solution to facilitate carbon removal during filtration. The solution was then maintained at 50 degrees C overnight. The solution was centrifuged and filtered using 0.22 micron filter.