Thermochemical characteristics and non-isothermal kinetics of camphor biomass waste

Abstract

Abstract To enhance the understanding of conversion processes and decomposition characteristics, the mass losses, intermediates evolved and products formed during pyrolysis of camphor biomass waste were determined by coupling DSC/TGA-DTG/GC-MS/FTIR. The non-isothermal kinetics of pyrolysis and combustion processes under the heating rates of 10, 15 and 20 °C/min were studied by the improved Coats-Redfern method. The activation energies and the pre-exponential factors were estimated iteratively by regression to improve their accuracy. The results indicated the mass losses could be divided into the different phases and the exothermic and/or endothermic reactions occurred. The functional groups and condensable/non-condensable gases such as O-H, C=O, C-O, C-O-C, C-H benzene skeleton, CO, H2, CO2, CH4, etc. were detected at different temperatures. The non-isothermal kinetic models based on improved iterative Coats-Redfern method fitted the experiments adequately in each phase both pyrolysis and combustion of camphor biomass waste. The nucleation and one-dimensional diffusion were found the suitable models, and the values of activation energy on main mass loss in the second phase of pyrolysis and combustion were obtained 39.98-56.25 and 109.26-135.84 kJ/mol, respectively.