What process involves the destructive distillation of organic compounds in an oxygen-free environment to convert them into gases, liquids, and char?

The process described in the question is pyrolysis, which is the thermal decomposition of materials at elevated temperatures in an oxygen-free environment. During pyrolysis, organic compounds break down into simpler molecules, resulting in the production of gases (such as methane and carbon monoxide), liquids (such as bio-oil), and char (a solid carbonaceous material). This process is significant in various applications, including waste treatment, bioenergy production, and material processing.

Pyrolysis specifically emphasizes the absence of oxygen, which distinguishes it from other processes like combustion, where the presence of oxygen is crucial for burning materials. This characteristic allows pyrolysis to generate various useful byproducts without causing the materials to combust completely.

In contrast, choices such as pitched chord truss and platform frame construction relate to structural engineering and building methods, having no relation to the thermochemical processes involved in pyrolysis. Partition walls are utilized in construction to divide spaces but do not pertain to the concept of organic material transformation. Thus, the only relevant term pertaining to the thermal breakdown of organic compounds in an oxygen-free setting is pyrolysis.