DESTRUCTIVE DISTILLATION • E-FREE TRANSLATION.COM • Definition of Destructive distillation

... distillation of gas from coal for illuminating purposes began in the latter part of the eighteenth century. From this beginning the manufacture of coal-gas has been developed to a great and complex industry. The method is essentially destructive distillation. The coal is placed in a retort and when it reaches a temperature of about 700 deg.F. through heating by an outside fire, the coal begins to fuse and hydrocarbon vapors begin to emanate. These are generally paraffins and olefins. As the temperature increases, these hydrocarbons begin to ...

— Artificial Light - Its Influence upon Civilization • M. Luckiesh