Authorities differ on the meaning of
Calcination (also referred to as
calcining). The IUPAC defines it as 'Heating to high temperatures in air or oxygen'. However
calcination is also used to mean a thermal treatment process in the absence or limited supply of air or oxygen applied to
ores and other solid materials to bring about a
thermal decomposition,
phase transition, or removal of a volatile fraction. The calcination process normally takes place at temperatures below the
melting point of the product materials. Calcination is not the same process as
roasting. In roasting, more complex gas–solid reactions take place between the furnace atmosphere and the solids. Calcination takes place inside equipment called calciners. A calciner is a steel cylinder that rotates inside a heated furnace and performs indirect high-temperature processing (1000-2100 °F) within a controlled atmosphere.