Calcination

/ˌkælsɪˈneɪʃən/ noun

Definition

The process of heating a substance to a high temperature until it becomes ash or powder, or the substance produced by this process.

Etymology

From Latin 'calcis' (lime) + '-ation' (process). Alchemists used this term for roasting minerals; it originally referred to burning limestone to produce lime.

Kelly Says

Medieval alchemists thought calcination was a mystical transformation that would purify matter, but they were actually accidentally discovering how to make cement—practical magic!

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