pyrolysis

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *péh₂wr̥ Proto-Hellenic *pāwər Ancient Greek πῦρ (pûr) Latin pyr English pyro- Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁-der. Ancient Greek λύω (lúō) Proto-Indo-European *-tis Ancient Greek -τις (-tis) Ancient Greek -σις (-sis) Ancient Greek λῠ́σῐς (lŭ́sĭs)der. English -lysis English pyrolysis From pyro- + -lysis.

1. The decomposition of a material or compound due to heat, in the absence of oxygen or other reagents.

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

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