S: (v) digest (soften or disintegrate by means of chemical action, heat, or moisture)
S: (v) dissociate (to undergo a reversible or temporary breakdown of a molecule into simpler molecules or atoms) "acids dissociate to give hydrogen ions"
S: (v) crack (reduce (petroleum) to a simpler compound by cracking)
W: (n) decomposition [Related to: decompose] ((chemistry) separation of a substance into two or more substances that may differ from each other and from the original substance)
W: (n) breakdown [Related to: break down] ((biology) the process of decay caused by bacterial or fungal action)
S: (v) disintegrate, decay, decompose (lose a stored charge, magnetic flux, or current) "the particles disintegrated during the nuclear fission process"