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

Included among the gases, ammoniacal liquor, and tar, the compounds which are known to be formed by the destructive distillation of coal already reach to nearly one hundred and fifty in number.

From Coal and What We Get from It by Raphael Meldola

It is found amongst the products of the destructive distillation of a great many organic bodies, but the most abundant source is coal-tar.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various

It is also formed in the destructive distillation of many substances, as wood, coal, caoutchouc, bones, resin and the fixed oils.

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