Abstract: The external-heated rotary kiln，which can remove absorbed water and crystal water effectively to produce qualified activating powder，was used for the calcination of 5A zeolite powder.The factors，such as calcining temperature，residence time，and fill factor in the kiln，that influenced the product performance indexes were researched，and the optimal working parameters were also determined.Result showed that on the conditions of 620 ℃ calcining temperature，45 min residence time，and 0.07～0.08 fill factor，the output of kiln could reach 295 kg/h and the static absorbed water and LOI rate were at 24.4%～24.45% and 1.04%～1.15%，respectively，with stable operation.Therefore，the output and product quality both met the design requirements.

Key words: external-heated rotary kiln, zeolite, system commissioning