Calcium-carbon (Ca-C) and iron-calcium-carbon composites (Fe-Ca-C) were prepared from calcium carbonate (CaCO3), goethite [alpha-FeO(OH)] and phenol resin. They were examined for the dechlorination of a chlorocyclohexane (CCH). The optimum compositions of calcium and iron, the carbonization temperatures for the effective dechlorination were studied in detail. The CCH conversions were found to increase with the elevation of carbonization temperature (773-1073 K) and Fe/Ca molar ratio. The CCH reaction rate studies shows that overall reaction rate is first order with the concentration of CCH. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.