Sodium vanadate, a waste from Bayer＇s alumina process was used as a catalyst in the CO2 gasification of active charcoal. The catalytic effect was quite evident with the observed enhanced rate of gasification accompanied by the typical compensation effect. This effect has been able to predict the observed anamolous behaviour of the vanadium catalysed carbothermic reduction of barite. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.