CRTA technology offers better resolution and a more detailed interpretation of the decomposition processes of a clay mineral
such as sepiolite via approaching equilibrium conditions of decomposition through the elimination of the slow transfer of
heat to the sample as a controlling parameter on the process of decomposition. Constant-rate decomposition processes of non-isothermal
nature reveal changes in the sepiolite as the sepiolite is converted to an anhydride. In the dynamic experiment two dehydration
steps are observed over the ~20–170 and 170–350 °C temperature range. In the dynamic experiment three dehydroxylation steps
are observed over the temperature ranges 201–337, 337–638 and 638–982 °C. The CRTA technology enables the separation of the
thermal decomposition steps.
Keywords Attapulgite - Sepiolite - Palygorskites - Thermal analysis - CRTA - Thermogravimetry