destructive distillation

American  

noun

Chemistry.

1. the decomposition of a substance, as wood or coal, by heating with a minimal exposure to air, and the collection of the volatile products formed.

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destructive distillation British  

noun

1. the decomposition of a complex substance, such as wood or coal, by heating it in the absence of air and collecting the volatile products

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destructive distillation Scientific  

/ dĭ-strŭk′tĭv /

1. A process by which organic substances such as wood, coal, and oil shale are broken down by heat in the absence of air. This causes them to break down into solids, liquids, and gases, which are then used to make products such as coke, charcoal, oils, and ammonia.

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Etymology

Origin of destructive distillation

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

destructive distillation

In the mean time, artificial oil had begun to be produced in large quantities from different minerals, principally, however, from cannel coal, by the process of destructive distillation.

From The Continental Monthly, Vol. 5, No. 2, February, 1864 Devoted To Literature And National Policy by Various

Rich gas, or gas made by the destructive distillation of certain bituminous schists, of oil, &c., contains much more of the heavy hydrocarbons, and its heat-value is therefore much higher than the above.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 3 "Frost" to "Fyzabad" by Various

The tar formed is affected to an even greater extent than the gas by alterations in the temperature at which the destructive distillation takes place.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 4 "G" to "Gaskell, Elizabeth" by Various

Amorphous carbon is obtained by the destructive distillation of many carbon compounds, the various kinds differing very greatly as regards physical characters and purity, according to the substance used for their preparation.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 3 "Capefigue" to "Carneades" by Various

This process of heating an organic compound in a closed vessel without access of air and collecting the products, is called destructive distillation.

From Coal and What We Get from It by Raphael Meldola