pyrolysis

From the Ancient Greek terms πῦρ (pûr, “fire”) and λύσις (lúsis, “loosing”); synchronically, pyro- +‎ -lysis.

• (Received Pronunciation)¹ IPA^(key): /pɪˈɹɒlɪsɪs/
• (Received Pronunciation)² IPA^(key): /paɪˈɹɒlɪsɪs/

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pyrolysis (countable and uncountable, plural pyrolyses)

1. (chemistry, physics) The decomposition of a material or compound due to heat, in the absence of oxygen or other reagents.
   • 1972, A. C. Knipe, Chapter 4: Elimination Reactions, B. Capon, C. W. Rees (editors), Organic Reaction Mechanisms 1971, page 143,

     Techniques that have successfully identified ionic intermediates in solution have been applied to gas-phase pyrolyses.

   • 1980, J. H. Purnell, Homogeneous Alkane Cracking, William Pryor (editor), Frontiers of Free Radical Chemistry: The route to quantitative description to very high conversion, page 94,

     Twenty years ago our real understanding of the mechanism of alkane pyrolyses was little better than rudimentary.

   • 2001, P. T. Williams, R. P. Bottrill, A. J. Brindle, A. M. Cunliffe, The potential of pyrolysis for recycling used tyres, Ravindra K. Dhir, Mukesh C. Limbachiya, Kevin A. Paine (editors), Recycling and Reuse of Used Tyres: Proceedings of the International Symposium, page 187,

     Pyrolysis involves the thermal degradation of the rubber of the tyre to give an oil and gas leaving a residual solid carbon and the steel casing of the tyre.

   • 2006, John C. F. Walker, Primary Wood Processing: Principles and Practice, 2nd Edition, Springer, page 541,

     Traditional pyrolysis of wood relies on low temperatures and long processing time to increase the charcoal yield. In contrast, modern or fast pyrolysis uses moderate temperatures (400-500°C) and very short residence times (typically only a few seconds) to maximize the production of liquids (Diebold and Bridgewater, 1997).

• pyrolyse, pyrolyze
• pyrolytic
• pyrolytically
• pyro-

• autolysis
• electrolysis
• hydrolysis
• photolysis
• fire