I001, I101, I110	intensity reflections respectively of [001], [101] and [110] planes
min	initial sample mass (g)
minst	instantaneous mass (g)
${\mathrm{M}}_{\mathrm{Mg}\left(\mathrm{OH}\right){ }_2}$	molecular weight of Mg(OH)2 (g mol−1)
MMgO	molecular weight of MgO (g mol−1)
${\mathrm{Q}}_{\mathrm{s}/\mathrm{r}}^{\mathrm{M}}$	stored/released heat capacity per mass unit ($\mathrm{kJ}/{\mathrm{kg}}_{\mathrm{Mg}{\left(\mathrm{OH}\right)}_2}$)
${\mathrm{Q}}_{\mathrm{s}/\mathrm{r}}^{\mathrm{V}}$	stored/released heat capacity per volume unit (MJ m−3)
SBET	specific surface area (m2 g−1)
Td	dehydration temperature (°C)
Th	hydration temperature (°C)
VPORE	pore volume (cm3 g−1)
Greek symbols
β	reacted fraction (%)
β fd	reacted fraction at the end of the dehydration treatment (%)
β id	reacted fraction at the beginning of the dehydration treatment (%)
βh	final reacted fraction of MgO at the point of water supply termination (%)
Δmreal	instantaneous real mass change (%)
Δmth	theoretical mass change due to the dehydration of Mg(OH)2 normalized to the total amount present in the sample (%)
Δβd	dehydration conversion (%)
Δβh	hydration conversion (%)
ΔH0	dehydration/hydration reaction enthalpy (kJ mol−1)
ρ	bulk density (kg m−3)