Volatile products of clay mineral pyrolysis revealed by their effect on calcite

Abstract
The volatiles produced when various clay minerals were pyrolysed under a stream of He or in vacuo were condensed and analysed. They contain a wide range of cations and anions in concentrations ranging from ppm to hundreds of ppm. The reactivity of these volatiles was demonstrated by their reaction with calcite. It is suggested that the water liberated on heating acts as a scavenger of various impurities present in the clay.