The breakdown of solid fuels to ignitable gases is known as what?

The breakdown of solid fuels to ignitable gases is known as pyrolysis. This process involves the thermal decomposition of organic material at elevated temperatures in the absence of oxygen. During pyrolysis, complex molecules in solid materials like wood, paper, or other flammable substances are broken down, resulting in the release of volatile gases and formation of char. These gases can ignite when they come into contact with a heat source, making pyrolysis a crucial step in the combustion process.

Vaporization refers to the conversion of a liquid into a vapor, which is not applicable to solid fuels. Deposition is the process of gas turning into a solid, and condensation describes the transition from gas to liquid. Since these terms describe different physical and chemical changes, they do not relate to the breakdown of solids into gases. Thus, pyrolysis is the accurate term for the process being described.