Using a heating rate of2*C min -1, CaS reacts with oxygen in air from 700"C to form CaSO4, with a complete conversion at 1100~ Synthesis of CaS from the reaction between CaSO 4 containing compounds and carbon compounds in air would not be possible, as the carbon reacts from 600"C with oxygen in the air to give CO 2. Heating stoichiometric amounts of carbon and pure CaSO4, synthetic gypsum or phosphogypsum in a nitrogen atmosphere, results in the formation of CaS from 850"C. Using a heating rate of 10~ min -i, the formation of CaS is completed at 1080"C. Addition of 5% Fe203 as a catalyst lowers the starting temperature of the reaction to 750~ Activation energy values at different fraction reaction values (c~) differ between 340 and 400 kJ mol -~. The relationship between the activation energy values and conversion (c0 indicates that the reaction proceeds via multiple steps.