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

Having once realized this principle with respect to coal itself, it is easy to extend it to the products of its destructive distillation.

From Coal and What We Get from It by Raphael Meldola

On destructive distillation the leaves yield much gas, 10,000 cub. ft. being obtained from one ton.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 8 "Ethiopia" to "Evangelical Association" by Various

Coal then meant the carbonaceous residue obtained in the destructive distillation of wood, or what is known as charcoal, and the name collier was applied indifferently to both coal-miners and charcoal-burners.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 5 "Clervaux" to "Cockade" by Various

The Dean ultimately traced the phenomenon to an escape of inflammable gas from an underlying coal seam, and he followed up the matter experimentally by studying the destructive distillation of Wigan coal in retorts.

From Coal and What We Get from It by Raphael Meldola

A volatile, very inflammable liquid, C6H6, contained in the naphtha produced by the destructive distillation of coal, from which it is separated by fractional distillation.

From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (2nd 100 Pages) by Noah Webster