Definition

1. Verb:
   • To heat a substance to a high temperature, but below its melting point, to cause decomposition, oxidation, or the removal of volatile matter: The process of calcination typically drives off carbon dioxide, water, or other gases, leaving a powdery residue (calcine) or causing a chemical change in the substance.

Usage

• Transitive Verb (with an object): To subject a material to calcination.
  • Chemists calcine limestone to produce quicklime.
  • The ore must be calcined before the metal can be extracted.
• Intransitive Verb (no object): To undergo calcination.
  • The gypsum will calcine at that temperature.

Examples

• Verb:
  • The process involves heating the mineral to calcine it and drive off sulfur dioxide.
  • Bone ash is produced by calcining animal bones.
  • The clay was calcined to increase its porosity.

Advanced Usage

• Technical/Industrial Context: The term is most common in chemistry, metallurgy, and materials science.
  • The catalyst was regenerated by calcining the spent material in a furnace.
• Resulting Product: The solid residue left after calcination is also called "calcine."
  • The calcine was then leached to recover the valuable metals.

Variants and Related Words

• Calcination (n): The process or operation of calcining.
  • Calcination is a key step in cement production.
• Calcine (n): The solid product resulting from calcination.
  • The fine calcine was collected for analysis.

Synonyms

• Roast (in metallurgical contexts)
• Heat-treat (in a broader, less specific sense)
• Burn (specifically to produce ash or oxide, e.g., to burn limestone)

Antonyms

• Hydrate (to combine with water)
• Dissolve

Related Phrases/Idioms

(This is a highly technical term with no common idiomatic uses.)

Verb

1. heat a substance so that it oxidizes or reduces