Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Decomposition or transformation of a compound caused by heat.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Chemical decomposition produced by exposure to a high temperature.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun chemistry, physics The decomposition of a material or compound due to heat in the absence of oxygen or any other reagents

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun transformation of a substance produced by the action of heat

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From the Ancient Greek terms πῦρ (pyr, "fire") and λύσις (lysis, "loosing").

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Examples

  • The process, known as pyrolysis, is similar to how charcoal is made.

    Sustainable Design Update » Blog Archive » Carbon Negative Fuel 2007

  • Using an old scientific process called pyrolysis (which is cooking biomass like manure without the presence of oxygen), futuresettlerscould turn this smelly chicken manure into biochar (which is a charcoal like product).

    Martian Settlers May Need Chickens To Conquer The Red Planet | Universe Today 2010

  • They analyzed gases emitted by 12 meteorites of the sort believed to have hit during the bombardment using a new laboratory technique called pyrolysis-FTIR, which can instantly heat samples to 1,000 degrees Celsius.

    Some Creative Destruction on a Cosmic Scale 2009

  • Using a process called pyrolysis, the waste plastics are heated in the absence of air, causing a breakdown of the molecular bonds.

    Microbes Turn Organic Waste Into Eco-Friendly Plastics | Impact Lab 2009

  • Forest debris are set on fire then covered by the blanket to reduce oxygen, turning ordinary open-air combustion into a process called pyrolysis.

    News 2011

  • Forest debris are set on fire then covered by the blanket to reduce oxygen, turning ordinary open-air combustion into a process called pyrolysis.

    News 2011

  • KiOR's biomass aka pyrolysis oil is not a near-perfect match to crude oil.

    unknown title 2011

  • Forest debris are set on fire then covered by the blanket to reduce oxygen, turning ordinary open-air combustion into a process called pyrolysis.

    News 2011

  • Forest debris are set on fire then covered by the blanket to reduce oxygen, turning ordinary open-air combustion into a process called pyrolysis.

    News 2011

  • Forest debris are set on fire then covered by the blanket to reduce oxygen, turning ordinary open-air combustion into a process called pyrolysis.

    News 2011

  • The felt is heated up with pulsed electricity to temperatures so high that the plastic breaks down into its constituents, a process called pyrolysis.

    Cannabis gives worms the munchies 2023

  • Touted as a solution, pyrolysis – technology that heats up plastic waste in the absence of oxygen – produces a type of oil that industries argue can be transformed back into ‘virgin-like’ plastic.

    New report blasts the limitations of pyrolysis technology, dubbed “miracle” by industry - Zero Waste Europe 2023

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