hydroxide the concentration of the alkali is preferably in the range of about 1 4 percent and the application rate of the alkali is in the range of about 0 01 to about 0 3 by weight of the oven dry biomass the alkaline treatment may be done by mixing or spraying the alkali onto the biomass feed prior to the maceration treatment and is done such that the moisture content of the biomass feed material is maintained through drying in a range of about 2 to about 10 in another embodiment of the present invention a strong acid such as sulfuric acid nitric acid hydrochloric acid may be used as an alternative to the alkaline treatment the preferred concentration of the acid is about 1 percent and the application rate is in the range of about 0 0001 to about 0 1 by weight of the oven dry biomass phosphoric acid may also be used in lieu of the sulfuric acid or nitric acid the acid is applied in a fine atomizing spray on the biomass feed then dried as necessary to a percent moisture of between about 2 to about 10 the effect of both the alkaline pretreatment and acid pretreatment is to enhance the speed of the.