Cellulose, furfural, and lignin can be produced in one process from hemp hurds or corncobs at a reasonable cost. Plastics and ion-exchange resins were prepared from the lignin and cellulose. A cement additive was made from the hemp lignin which improved the flow of freshly mixed cement and increased the strength of the cement after setting. An equation for the prediction of index of refraction from chemical structure was developed. The index of refraction equation was used to calculate atomic radii. Another equation was derived, from the mechanism used in the derivation of the index of refraction equation, which explained the behavior of light in moving mediums. One of Freudenberg's proposed structures of lignin was verified with the index of refraction equation.