Activation energy distribution in pyrolysis of Thar coal, Pakistan

作者：Khan Muhammad Nasiruddin^*; Sarwar Anila; Shah Syed Kabir

来源：Asia-Pacific Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2015, 10(2): 297-306.

DOI：10.1002/apj.1875

• activation energy
• coal pyrolysis
• kinetics
• thermogravimetry

Thermochemical decomposition of 16 samples of low-rank Thar coal has been investigated using non-isothermal thermogravimetric data under an inert environment. Rapid weight loss of volatiles was found in the regions of 164-233 and 473-503 degrees C. Kinetics of pyrolysis reaction showed that the volatiles released in three consecutive steps follow first-order reaction. The kinetic evaluation focuses on all the steps to estimate activation energy, pre-exponential factor and the contribution of each step to the overall reaction. The results showed that evaporation of moisture and low-temperature volatile compounds require 3.17-4.81kJmol(-1) activation energy. The combustion of char required a higher amount of energy (10.86-36.11kJmol(-1)). The formation of secondary char required 10.34-24.00kJmol(-1) energy. The results suggested that Thar coal has a substantial potential for gasification due to high volatile content and low activation energy.

• 出版日期2015-4