Abstract: A method comprises subjecting raw wood comprising cellulose, lignin and hemicellulose to a heat treatment at a crystallization temperature in the range of from about 150° C. to about 250° C. for a period of time sufficient to induce crystallization of cellulose in the raw wood, wherein the crystallinity of the processed raw wood as measured after delignification using 380 Raman is at least 5% greater than the crystallinity of the raw wood as measured after delignification and prior to processing using 380 Raman. The method can further comprise extracting CNCs from the processed raw wood via an acid hydrolysis procedure.