Steam hydration of lime is an effective method for restoring CO2 capture activity but gives rise to high particle attrition rates in a fluid bed reactor This paper describes the phenomenon of Ca(OH)(2) superheating, also referred to as superheated dehydration (SD) The potential of an attrition-free lime reactivation process using this phenomenon is also investigated Attrition rates of the sorbent are measured when a reactivation step using steam hydration is implemented every three carbonation/calcination cycles It has been shown that the presence of CO2 during the dehydration step reduces attrition during subsequent cycles Experiments performed in a small fluid bed reactor show that the presence of 40-100% CO2 during the dehydration step increases the initiation temperature of the decomposition of Ca(OH)(2) from 445 to 618 degrees C The thermodynamic equilibrium water vapor pressure for the dehydration reaction at 618 degrees C is 516 kPa, whereas no water vapor was detected in the reactor during the dehydration step before the temperature reached 618 degrees C Under these circumstances it is proposed that the Ca(OH)(2) is in a nonequilibrium "superheated state" A CO2 capture cycling experiment, with a reactivation step every three carbonation/calcination cycles, maintained an average activity of 60%, creating only 3 25% of fines < 150 mu m after 28 carbonations The reactivation step consisted of hydrating the sorbent at a temperature of 270 degrees C and dehydrating it in 100% CO2 with a 23 min hold at 520 degrees C It is proposed that the SD phenomenon may be a key step in the development of an industrially feasible method of lime reactivation for use in CO2 capture and in thermal energy storage applications