Dynamic model-free and model-fitting kinetic analysis during torrefaction of oil palm frond pellets

• Published in: Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering and Catalysis
• Main Author: Matali S.; Rahman N.A.; Idris S.S.; Yaacob N.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Diponegoro University 2020
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85082884465&doi=10.9767%2fbcrec.15.1.6985.253-263&partnerID=40&md5=67fe174abee29544d6ab6ee17b15d143

Torrefaction is a thermal conversion method extensively used for improving the properties of biomass. Usually this process is conducted within a temperature range of 200-300 °C under an inert atmosphere with residence time up to 60 minutes. This work aimed to study the kinetic of thermal degradation of oil palm frond pellet (OPFP) as solid biofuel for bioenergy production. The kinetics of OPFP during tor-refaction was studied using frequently used iso-conversional model fitting (Coats-Redfern (CR)) and in-tegral model-free (Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS)) methods in order to provide effective apparent ac-tivation energy as a function of conversion. The thermal degradation experiments were conducted at four heating rates of 5, 10, 15, and 20 °C/min in a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) under non-oxidative atmosphere. The results revealed that thermal decomposition kinetics of OPFP during torre-faction is significantly influenced by the severity of torrefaction temperature. Via Coats-Redfern meth-od, torrefaction degradation reaction mechanism follows that of reaction order with n = 1. The activa-tion energy values were 239.03 kJ/mol and 109.28 kJ/mol based on KAS and CR models, respectively. Copyright © 2020 BCREC Group. All rights reserved.