In this article, we present a mathematical model that describes the calcination and sintering of calcium-based sorbents in furnace sorbent injection (FSI) conditions. We assumed that the sorbent decomposition follows a shrinking core model with a changing pore size distribution in every layer and we used a comprehensive mathematical model for sintering. Cylindrical and plate-like or slit pore geometries, usually associated with carbonate- and hydroxide-derived sorbents, respectively, were adopted and compared. It was concluded that sorbents with cylindrical pores sinter to a greater extent than those with slit pores. The decomposition and sintering kinetics were determined for three calcium sorbents with different pore geometries in FSI conditions. The study revealed that the presence Of CO2 and H2O in the reaction atmosphere affects the sintering parameters whereas the calcination parameters remain constant. The model effectively correlated the experimental data and adequately predicted not only the evolution of the specific surface area but also the evolution of the pore size distribution of the sorbent over time. The most striking aspect of the research was that although our model calculated the total area by adding together the pore sizes in all the layers of the sorbent, the results were very similar to those of other sintering models. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.