Author Retains CopyrightClark, Maxwell William2011-03-102022-10-252011-03-102022-10-2519661966https://ir.wgtn.ac.nz/handle/123456789/23166This thesis describes the kinetic study of the dehydroxylation of crocidolite. The reaction studied can be represented by the idealized equation: The reaction was studied under vacuum conditions and followed primarily by a weight loss method. The experimental results have been compared with theoretical models for solid state reactions. The results of the dehydroxylation can be explained over the complete reaction range by a diffusion controlled mechanism. It is postulated that oxygen ions are the diffusing species and this postulation agrees with previous x-ray studies and activation energies of diffusion of oxygen in an oxygen lattice. It is shown that the particle controlling diffusion has a radius of less than 30 microns, and it is assumed that these particles are the individual fibres. The enthalpy of activation for the dehydroxylation has been determined, 46 ± 3 k cal./mole., and the entropy of activation is shown to lie in the range 2-6 cal./deg./mole.pdfen-NZhttps://www.wgtn.ac.nz/library/about-us/policies-and-strategies/copyright-for-the-researcharchiveDehydroxylationSolid stateSolid state chemistryRiebeckiteTextAll rights, except those explicitly waived, are held by the Author