TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - CHEMICAL ENGINEERING - Preferred Arrangement: The unit further consists of a storage unit. The unit is operable to provide a flow of evolved hydrocarbons to storage unit remote from the unit. The unit consists of a unit for condensing evolved hydrocarbon gas into liquid fractions and storing respective fractions in respective different storage tanks of the storage unit. The unit is operable to control a temperature of material in the reactor vessel responsive to a rate of loss of weight of material in the reactor vessel. The unit consists of a unit for determining the weight of material in the reactor vessel. The unit for determining the weight of material comprises load cell(s) arranged to measure a weight of reactor vessel. The controller is operable automatically to terminate heating of material in the reactor vessel when a rate of change of weight of the reactor vessel falls below a prescribed value at a prescribed temperature. An upper internal surface of the reactor vessel is sloped to promote rising of evolved hydrocarbon gas to a gas outlet of the reactor vessel. The reactor vessel has a cylindrical vessel. A longitudinal axis of the reactor vessel is tilted to promote flow of evolved gases towards the gas outlet. The reactor vessel is operable to heat the material by mechanically working the material. The source of microwave radiation is operable to generate microwave radiation of type (I) for exciting water molecules contained in the reactor vessel and microwave radiation of type (II) for exciting hydrocarbon molecules contained in the reactor vessel. Type (I) radiation is different from type (II) radiation. Type (I) radiation comprises radiation of frequency (I) and not frequency (II) different from frequency (I), and type (II) radiation comprises radiation of frequency (II). The unit is operable to irradiate material in the reactor vessel with radiation of type (I) and not type (II) upon initial heating of the material to a temperature below prescribed temperature (I) to evolve water vapor to dry the material, subsequently to irradiate material in the reactor vessel with radiation of frequency (II) to heat the material to a temperature in excess of temperature (I) to evolve hydrocarbons. The unit is operable to irradiate material in the reactor vessel with radiation of frequency (II) once a rate of change of weight of the reactor vessel has fallen below a prescribed value during heating of the material with radiation of frequency (I). The unit consists of a unit for mechanically agitating material contained within the reactor vessel, comprising movable blade(s). At least a portion of the reactor vessel to which material in the reactor vessel is exposed comprises a catalytic material. The unit means for mechanically agitating material contained within the reactor vessel comprises a catalytic material to which material to be pyrolyzed in the reactor vessel is exposed. The catalytic material is arranged to promote decomposition of evolved hydrocarbons and/or reaction of evolved hydrocarbons. The unit is operable to heat material in reactor vessels (I,II) in the absence of oxygen and flood the reactor vessel with a gas to displace oxygen. The reactor vessel is provided with a thermoelectric generator over at least a portion of an external surface. The generator is operable to generate electricity when the reactor vessel is heated. The unit is operable to use electricity generated by the generator to recharge a rechargeable power storage device of the unit, and to supply electricity generated by the generator to an external sink, optionally a domestic power load or a mains electricity grid. The unit has a casing (101) in which the reactor vessel, controller, and storage unit are provided. The casing does not exceed a temperature of 30 degrees C, 40 degrees C, 50 degrees C, 60 degrees C, 70 degrees C, 80 degrees C or 90 degrees C when the unit is used to pyrolyze material when the unit being provided in an environment at standard ambient temperature and pressure (SATP) conditions of 298.15 K and an absolute pressure of 100 kPa. The unit is arranged to fit within a space of dimensions 1 mx 1 mx 1 m or 2 mx 2 mx 2 m.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Compounds: The catalytic material comprises aluminum, alumina, tantalum, tungsten, silver and/or nickel.