NOVELTY - System (10) comprises a pretreating device (12) for producing a pressurized mass of material having a predetermined elevated temperature, at least one processing utility (28) disposed downstream of the pretreating device, and a combined tangential shear homogenizing and flashing apparatus (20) connected intermediate to the pretreating device and the process utilities. The apparatus comprises: a housing having an inlet and at least a first outlet; a stator and a rotor mounted within housing; and at least one conduit (24).    USE - The system is useful for destructuring pretreated biomass (claimed).    ADVANTAGE - The system efficiently destructure the biomass with minimal time, investment and energy.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - System (10) comprises a pretreating device (12) for producing a pressurized mass of material having a predetermined elevated temperature, at least one processing utility (28) disposed downstream of the pretreating device, and a combined tangential shear homogenizing and flashing apparatus (20) connected intermediate to the pretreating device and the process utilities. The apparatus comprises: a housing having an inlet and at least a first outlet, where the housing having an axis extends through it, and the inlet is connectable to the pretreating device; a stator and a rotor mounted within the housing, where the stator and rotor are confrontationally disposed and spaced apart to define a mixing zone communicating with the inlet and the outlet, and the rotor is connectable to a motor operative to rotate the rotor with respect to the stator, such that, in use, with a predetermined pressure difference within the mixing zone, rotational movement of the rotor with respect to the stator imparts a tangential shear to a predetermined volume of pretreated biomass introduced into the mixing zone at a predetermined pressure and temperature, and the tangential shear is able to homogenize the biomass and the pressure difference is able to cause a partial phase separation of the homogenized biomass into vapor and liquid phases; and at least one conduit (24) for providing uninterrupted fluid communication between at least one outlet of the housing and process utilities for conducting the vapor and liquid phases directly into the process utilities. INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are also included for:    (1) a method for destructuring pretreated biomass, comprising: heating and pressurizing a mass of material to a predetermined pressure and a predetermined temperature; introducing the heated, pressurized mass of material into mixing zone defined between a stator and a rotor rotatably mounted for rotation about an axis with respect to the stator; and exposing the material in the mixing zone to a pressure difference directed radially from the axis while simultaneously rotating the rotor with respect to the stator to impart a shear force directed tangentially to the pressure gradient, where the tangential shear is able to homogenize the biomass and the pressure difference is able to cause a partial phase separation of the homogenized biomass into vapor and liquid phases; and    (2) a combined tangential shear homogenizing and flashing apparatus (A1) comprising: a housing having an axis extending through it, where the housing has an inlet connectable to a source of pretreated biomass; and the stator and a rotor mounted within the housing, where the stator and rotor are confrontationally disposed and spaced apart to define a mixing zone communicating with the inlet, and the housing has at one or two effluent outlets through which the vapor and liquid phases are able to pass to at least one downstream utility.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure shows a highly stylized schematic representation of a system for implementing a method for destructuring biomass that includes a combined tangential shear homogenizing and flashing apparatus in which a gap of uniform axial dimension is defined between the rotor and stator elements of the apparatus.    System (10)    Pretreatment device (12)    Flashing apparatus (20)    Conduit (24)    Processing utility (28)