hydrocrack

/ˈhaɪdroʊˌkræk/
verb
  1. To break down large hydrocarbon molecules into smaller, more useful ones using heat, pressure, and hydrogen, especially in oil refining.
    • Engineers are learning how to hydrocrack petroleum more efficiently.
    • They plan to hydrocrack the leftover oil to produce diesel fuel.
    • The refinery uses a special process to hydrocrack heavy crude oil into gasoline.