alkaline hydrolysis
noun
: the chemical process of rapidly decomposing a dead body to mostly tiny bits of bone resembling ash by immersing the body in a pressurized chamber containing a heated alkaline solution (as of potassium hydroxide) followed by drainage of all liquid and pulverization of remaining bone compare cremation
broadly
: any hydrolysis process performed in an alkaline environment
Alkaline hydrolysis is one of the most commonly used chemical pretreatment processes, which can remove primarily lignin and some hemicellulose from lignocellulosic biomass. —Wan Chi Lam et al.
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“Alkaline hydrolysis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alkaline%20hydrolysis. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.
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