Historical Overview

Thermal decomposition of solids and melts is a process of basic significance involved in many natural phenomena and industrial technologies. Karst phenomenon and volcanic activity, rock weathering, dehydration of rock-salt deposits, which are actually manifestations of the evolution of the Earth and of the Universe as a whole, have been subjects of curiosity of mankind from the time immemorial. The history of our civilization is intimately connected with development of a variety of technologies based on heat treatment of natural materials with the purpose of obtaining new objects of practical importance. Among them are both the oldest earthenware and building crafts and pyrometallurgy, and many modern technologies closely associated with industrial chemistry, production of catalysts, ceramics and optoelectronic materials. Table 1.1 presents examples illustrating the use of thermal decomposition in science and technology.