After a previous post on using ion chromatography (IC) for the analysis of fuel grade biobutanol, the spotlight here is on a rapid (< 8 min) and robust IC method that can be adopted for the on-line monitoring of sugar levels in biomass applications. Corn stover (Wikipedia), a common feedstock for biofuel alcohol production, consists of the leaves and stalks of maize plants left after harvesting. It is critical to determine carbohydrates during biofuel alcohol production to ensure process yield and product quality.