Pyrolysis Rate of Some Agricultural and Forest Wastes

Abstract

The pyrolysis rate of 16 agricultural and forest wastes was measured using dynamic thermogravimetry method and analyzed both by simple reaction and multi-reaction models. The effect of operating conditions of the TG-DTA (Thermogravimetry-Differential Thermal Analysis) system was investigated and the kinetic properties of the materials were discussed.
The result showed that fractional conversion of the waste materials during pyrolysis can be described by both of the models. Heating rate below 20°C/min and flow rate of N₂ gas below 180ml/min had no effect on the pyrolysis rate. Regression analysis indicated that the pyrolytic activation energies of the materials, with the exception of rice husk which has high ash content, had significant relationship with the carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen contents.