Reply #7: Many thanks for that link. I didn't know about xylan ... strange gap in my knowledge. [View All]

[eppur_se_muova]

I had pondered the possibility of converting lignin (the phenolic polymer in wood) into a liquid fuel ... as of now, lignin is used to produce artificial vanillin (vanilla flavor).

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lignin :
Lignin (sometimes "lignen") is a chemical compound that is most commonly derived from wood and is an integral part of the cell walls of plants, especially in tracheids, xylem fibres and sclereids. It is one of most abundant organic compounds on earth after cellulose and chitin. Lignin makes up about one-quarter to one-third of the dry mass of wood.