We studied the process of conversion of microcrystalline-cellulose into fermentable glucose in the formic acid reaction system using cross polarization/magic angle spinning (13)C-nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results indicated that formic acid as an active agent was able to effectively penetrate into the interior space of the cellulose molecules, thus collapsing the rigid crystalline structure and allowing hydrolysis to occur easily in the amorphous zone as well as in the crystalline zone. The microcrystalline-cellulose was hydrolyzed using formic acid and 4% hydrochloric acid under mild conditions. The effects of hydrochloric acid concentration, the ratio of solid to liquid, temperature (55-75 degrees C) and retention time (0-9 h), and the concentration of glucose were analyzed. The hydrolysis velocities of microcrystalline-cellulose were 6.14 x 10(-3) h(-1) at 55 degrees C, 2.94 x 10(-2) h(-1) at 65 degrees C, and 6.84x10(-2) h(-1) at 75 degrees C. The degradation velocities of glucose were 0.01 h(-1) at 55 degrees C, 0.14 h(-1) at 65 degrees C, 0.34 h(-1) at 75 degrees C. The activation energy of microcrystalline-cellulose hydrolysis was 105.61 kJ/mol, and the activation energy of glucose degradation was 131.37 kJ/mol.