ABSTRACT
In the polymer industry, utilization of plant and animal compounds is the key to sustainable development. Carbohydrates have already been used signi…cantly in the food, medical, and cosmetic industries. Plant materials containing cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin are the largest organic resources but with the exception of cellulose, they are not very well utilized. Hemicelluloses are signi…cantly underutilized. Lignin, production of which is over 20 million tons per year worldwide, is mostly burnt as fuel, although it is one of the most useful natural resources (Ranby 2001).
