Calcination

The objects of calcination are usually:

to drive off water, present as absorbed moisture, as " Water Of Crystallization ", or as " Water Of Constitution " (as in the conversion of Ferric Hydroxide to Ferric Oxide );

to drive off Carbon Dioxide (as in the calcination of Limestone into Lime in a Limekiln ), Sulfur Dioxide , or other Volatile Constituent ;

to Oxidize (oxidative calcination) a part or the whole of the substance (commonly used to convert metal Sulfide Ores to Oxides in the first step of recovering such metals as Zinc , Lead , and Copper );

the Reduction (reductive calcination) of metals from their ores ( Smelting ).

Calcination reactions may include thermal Dissociation , including the Destructive Distillation of organic compounds (i.e., heating a highly Carbonaceous material in the absence of air or oxygen, to produce solids, liquids, and gases). Examples of other calcination reactions include the concentration of Alumina by heating Bauxite ; Polymorphic Phase Transition s such as the conversion of Anatase to the Rutile ; and thermal Recrystallization s such as the Devitrification of glass. Materials that are commonly calcined include Phosphate , Aluminum Oxide , Manganese Carbonate , Petrol Coke , and sea water Magnesite .

ALCHEMY

In Alchemy , calcination is believed to be one of the 12 vital processes required for the transformation of a substance.

In both in the Bethesda Softworks games Morrowind and Oblivion , an alchemical tool called a ''Calcinator'' was said to burn substances to ash, increasing the potency of mixtures. The end result of using a Calcinator would be increased potency of all alchemical potions, regardless of their positive or negative effects.

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Calcination