Thermolysis
editThermolysis means dissociation or decomposition of chemical compounds by heat. It is a special case of chemical dissociation, chemical decomposition or both. Thermal decomposition is a kind of thermolysis.
Thermal decomposition
editThermal decomposition is a temperature induced breakdown of chemical compounds without oxidation. Some usages restricts it to organic compounds. It is a special case of chemical decomposition and is sometimes used interchangeably with thermolysis even though it is a slightly more precise term as it does not include chemical dissociation.
Dry distillation
editDry distillation is the separation of the volatile fractions from the solid fractions of a substance by applying heat and subsequently condensing the product as far as possible. The process is without addition of water or other volatile solvent.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=Dry+distillation
Heating can be performed in a still or retort, and a condenser or alembic can be used for condensation. Examples of dry distillation are illuminating gas from coal, ethanol from sour mash, anhydration of monohydrate citric acid, boric acid from steam and certain kinds of rectification. Dry distillation is a special case of distillation. It is closely related to destructive distillation and sometimes used interchangeably.
Pyrolysis
editPyrolysis (IPA: /paɪˈrɒləsɪs/, from Greek: pyro-, form of pŷr, meaning "fire", and -lysis, form of lýsis meaning "loosening, releasing") is the thermal decomposition of organic compounds. The term identifies both the process of subjecting organic compounds to high temperatures in the absence of air and the resulting decomposition. The products, their properties varying with feedstock and process conditions, are a mixture of illuminating gas, pyroligneous acid, tar and char. Examples of pyrolysis processes are carbonization, charcoal burning, coking, cracking, destructive distillation, dry destructive distillation and certain kinds of liquefaction. More commonly pyrolysis occurs as part of a process such as gasification or combustion of liquids and solids. Dry distillation is a special case of thermal decomposition.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=pyrolysis
http://search.eb.com/eb/article-216148
http://search.eb.com/eb/article-9077402
B. Krieger-Brockett, Microwave pyrolysis of biomass, Research on Chemical Intermediates, Vol. 20, No. 1. (1994)