The reacti®ity of the calcination product of calcium magnesium acetate CMA as a possible dry desulfurization agent was e®aluated. The first step in the dry desulfurization reactionᎏ the thermal decomposition of CMA ᎏ was in®estigated by determining the decomposition reaction in three steps: 1. the e®aporation of water starting at 65ЊC, 2. the con®ersion of CMA into CaCO and MgO starting at 275ЊC, and 3. the decomposi-3 tion of CaCO to CaO starting at 580ЊC. The pseudo-first-order kinetic equation was 3 obser®ed for the CMA decomposition to CaCO q MgO, with an acti®ation energy of 3165.5 kJrmol. The decomposition of CaCO to CaO also obeyed the pseudo-first-order 3 kinetics, with an acti®ation energy of 200 kJrmol. As discussed in Part II of this series, the calcination product from CMA is quite reacti®e due mainly to the large porosity and internal surface area generated on the remo®al of the acetate group during the decomposition reaction. Furthermore, as will be shown in Parts II and III, the sulfation capacity of the calcined CMA is much greater than that of con®entional sorbents because its sulfation rate does not le®el off until complete con®ersion and its MgO content is also sulfated at temperatures lower than about 900ЊC.