TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The hydrolyzed biomass composition is obtained by hydrolyzing the biomass and/or biomass component in the ionic liquid. The composition is pressurized to form the first phase and the second phase. The temperature of the composition is reduced to form the first phase and the second phase. The composition is contacted with pressurized carbon dioxide to form the first phase and the second phase. Alternatively the method (m1) involves contacting a composition comprising ionic liquid, water and a hydrogen bonding solute with a fluid to form a first phase comprising ionic liquid and a second phase comprising water and the hydrogen bonding solute; recovering or concentrating at least some of the hydrogen bonding solute from the second phase; and returning at least some of the hydrogen bonding solute from the recovering step to the mixture. The hydrogen bonding solute is recovered or concentrated by reverse osmosis; and is sugar. After contacting the composition with a fluid to form a first phase comprising ionic liquid and a second phase comprising ionic liquid, water and the hydrogen bonding solute, the method (m1) involves recovering or concentrating at least some of the ionic liquid from the second phase, and further involves partitioning the second phase from the first phase. The ionic liquid is recovered by electrodialysis. An aqueous biphasic system (ABS) is produced. The step of contacting the composition with the fluid forms a third phase comprising the fluid; and the composition is contacted with the fluid at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, to decrease the viscosity of the composition. The fluid and gas comprises carbon dioxide. The fluid is miscible in the ionic liquid. The hydrolyzed biomass composition is obtained by hydrolyzing the biomass and/or biomass component in the ionic liquid. The method (m1) further involves lowering the temperature of the composition, first phase and/or second phase. In the method (m2), the pressure is increased to more than 2 atmospheres, more than 5 atmospheres, or more than 20 atmospheres. The applied pressure is stationary or non-stationary. The non-stationary pressure takes the form of vibration, acoustic waves, ultrasound, and agitation. The pressure is oscillated. The increased pressure increases the rate at which the biomass or its component dissolve in the ionic liquid by at least 1% relative to the rate at which the biomass dissolves in the ionic liquid at atmospheric pressure; and increases the solubility of the biomass or its components in the ionic liquid by at least 1% relative to the solubility of the biomass in the ionic liquid at atmospheric pressure. The ionic liquid is contacted with a pressurized gas. The step of contacting the ionic liquid with the pressurized gas reduces the viscosity of the ionic liquid by at least 5%. The rate at which the biomass dissolves in the ionic liquid is at least 20% of the maximum rate at pressures of atmospheric pressure to 100 atm. The solubility of the biomass in the ionic liquid is at least 20% of the maximum solubility at pressures of atmospheric pressure to 100 atm. Alternatively the method (m2) involves contacting biomass with ionic liquid, where the ionic liquid is in contact with a pressurized gas and the rate at which the biomass dissolves in the ionic liquid is at least 5% greater than the rate at which the biomass dissolves in the ionic liquid when the ionic liquid is not in contact with the pressurized gas, and the solubility of the biomass in the ionic liquid is at least 1% greater than the solubility of the biomass in the ionic liquid when the ionic liquid is not in contact with the pressurized gas. In the method (m3), the reaction mixture further comprises a pressurized gas or an acid; and carbon dioxide, where at least some of the carbon dioxide is present as carbonic acid. The ratio of the concentration of water to the concentration of the biomass in the mixture, is maintained until the biomass is at least 75% hydrolyzed. The method (m3) further involves, when the biomass is at least 90% hydrolyzed, adding water to the mixture to increase the ratio to at least 200% of the ratio before water is added. The ratio of the concentration of water to the concentration of the ionic liquid in the mixture, is maintained at 50-150% before water is added. Preferably the method (m3) involves adding water to a mixture, where the mixture comprises ionic liquid, water and biomass having glycosidic bonds, and the water is added to the mixture at a rate that maintains a greater than stoichiometric concentration of water relative to the glycosidic bonds. The ratio of the concentration of water to the concentration of glycosidic bonds is 2. In the method (m3), the water is added at a rate that reduces the electrical conductivity of the reaction mixture over time. The electrical conductivity is reduced in proportion to the extent to which the biomass is hydrolyzed. In the method (m3), a volume of water is added to a mixture comprising biomass and ionic liquid at least 2 times during the time period in which the biomass is being hydrolyzed. Alternatively the method (m3) involves dissolving at least some biomass in an ionic liquid, hydrolyzing at least some of the biomass, and adding water to the biomass and ionic liquid, where the water is added after at least some of the biomass is converted to water-soluble carbohydrates; or contacting biomass with ionic liquid, and adding water to the biomass and ionic liquid at least 5 minutes after the contacting, where the water is added at least 20 minutes after the contacting and the biomass and ionic liquid are contacted in the presence of an acid. The method (m3) involves adding biomass comprising cellulose or hemicellulose to ionic liquid such that the cellulose or hemicellulose dissolves in the ionic liquid over a time period, and adding water to the ionic liquid when the degree of polymerization of the dissolved cellulose or hemicellulose is less than 99% of the degree of polymerization of the cellulose or hemicellulose in the biomass before being dissolved in the ionic liquid; or adding water to a mixture of biomass and ionic liquid after the degree of polymerization of cellulose or hemicellulose dissolved in the ionic liquid has been reduced by at least 1% compared with the degree of polymerization of the cellulose or hemicellulose in the biomass before being dissolved in the ionic liquid, where the concentration of water increases over time and the water is added at a faster rate than it is consumed in the hydrolysis reaction; or adding water to a mixture of biomass and ionic liquid at a rate such that the concentration of furanic compounds in the mixture is less than 1 wt./wt.%. In the method (m4), the reaction mixture is heated at 70-140 degrees C during hydrolysis, and is cooled at 20-100 degrees C following hydrolysis. The temperature is lowered such that the yield of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural in the hydrolysis product is less than or equal to 10%. The method involves adding 1-25 wt.% co-solvent into the reaction mixture. The method (m5) involves preparing the hydrolysis product and separating the hydrolysis product from ionic liquid. The method for hydrolyzing biomass involves applying a variable pressure to a mixture comprising biomass, water and ionic liquid, where the pressure is varied such that the solubility of the biomass in the ionic liquid is not substantially decreased and the rate of hydrolysis is not substantially decreased. The rate of hydrolysis is at least 20% greater than the rate of hydrolysis at atmospheric pressure. The water is added to the biomass and ionic liquid at a rate that is approximately equal to the rate at which water is consumed in the hydrolysis reaction. In the method (p1), the vessel maintains a pressure gradient, and the ionic liquid comprises acid. In the method (p2), the vessel is a column and comprises pressurized gas. The water soluble sugars of the hydrolysate are separated from the ionic liquid in a water phase. The method (p2) involves separating solids of the hydrolysate from the ionic liquid with a filter. The solids comprise lignin and/or ash. The method (m1) involves contacting a fluid with ionic liquid having a dissolved biomass component, where the biomass component precipitates from the ionic liquid. The method further involves partitioning the precipitated biomass component from the ionic liquid, optionally washing the partitioned biomass component, and optionally drying the washed biomass component. The biomass component is partitioned by filtration or centrifugation; and washed with water and/or ethanol. The ionic liquid is recovered from the wash. The partitioned, washed and/or dried biomass component comprises less than 1 wt./wt.%, preferably less than 0.1 wt./wt.% ionic liquid. The method (p3) further involves recovering the precipitated solids from the ionic liquid by filtration. The step of recovering the solids results in a loss of less than 1 wt./wt.%, preferably less than 0.5 wt./wt.%, especially less than 0.1 wt./wt.% of the ionic liquid. Preferred Components: The biomass component is a sugar. The sugar comprises glucose; and at least partially stabilizes the second phase. The first unit is a reverse osmosis unit. The second unit is a flash tank or a heated tank. The co-solvent is water, ethanol and/or ketone.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The biomass polysaccharide substrate is lignocellulosic biomass. The biomass component is derived from lignocellulose; or is lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, ash, protein and/or starch. The solids (s2) comprise lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose and/or ash. EXAMPLE - A 10 ml sample containing 85% ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride, 10% water, and 5% glucose by mass was prepared. The solution was placed in a pressure vessel and pressurized using supercritical carbon dioxide at 2000 psi and 40 degrees C and left under these conditions for 15 minutes. Carbon dioxide was then flowed through the pressure vessel at 5 standard liters per minute for 10 minutes. Water was added to the carbon dioxide stream as a co-solvent at a rate of 2 ml/minute. The carbon dioxide leaving the vessel was depressurized and vented while a minimal amount of extract from the ionic liquid-water-glucose solution was captured in a collection vial whereupon the carbon dioxide was shut-off and the pressure vessel was depressurized. A Bayer Breeze 2 Glucose Meter measured 529 mg/dl glucose in the clear phase immediately after extraction. The liquid captured from the depressurized extract stream was also measured immediately with no detectible levels of glucose found. This sample was then dried in an oven over several hours leaving observable deposits and particulates. Then, 0.03 ml of deionized water was added to the dried sample and tested for glucose. The result showed that the dried sample had glucose content of 49 mg/dl.