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Characterization and comparative study of pyrolysis kinetics of the rice husk and the elephant grass

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Abstract

A comparative evaluation of different biomasses allows the choice that presents the best potential as fuel for energy production. The knowledge of the thermal and kinetics parameters of the biomass in the process of thermal conversion is fundamental as their chemical and physical characterization. Various methodologies have been developed for the determination of kinetic parameters as apparent activation energy and reaction order from the thermogravimetric analysis. In this work, the apparent activation energy needed to break the bonds of hemicelluloses and cellulose of rice husk and elephant grass during the thermal conversion was evaluated according to the kinetics models of Flynn and Wall and Model Free Kinetics developed by Vyazovkin. The biomass elephant grass and rice husk were characterized for moisture, ash and volatile matter by ASTM E871, ASTM E1755, ASTM E872, respectively, and fixed carbon by difference. The percentage of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen were determined by ultimate analysis. The elephant grass showed to be more suitable for production of bio-oil through pyrolysis due to the higher percentage of volatile, less ash content and less energy required to break the bonds of hemicellulose and cellulose than rice husk in the thermal conversion process.

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Acknowledgements

Authors gratefully acknowledge CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnologico) for financial support, LabTam – NUPPRAR for the TG analysis and Central Analítica – NUPPRAR for the Ultimate Analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CEAR-DEER, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, 59051-900, Brazil

    Renata M. Braga & Flavia M. Aquino

  2. Chemical Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, 59072-970, Brazil

    Dulce M. A. Melo & Julio C. O. Freitas

  3. Department of Chemical Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, 59072-970, Brazil

    Marcus A. F. Melo

  4. Federal University of Campina Grande, Center of Education and Health, Cuité, PB, Brazil

    Joana M. F. Barros & Maria S. B. Fontes

  5. Rua Ismael Pereira da Silva, 1728, Apto. 903. Capim Macio, Natal, RN, 59082-000, Brazil

    Renata M. Braga

Authors
  1. Renata M. Braga
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  2. Dulce M. A. Melo
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  3. Flavia M. Aquino
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  4. Julio C. O. Freitas
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  5. Marcus A. F. Melo
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  6. Joana M. F. Barros
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  7. Maria S. B. Fontes
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Correspondence to Renata M. Braga.

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Braga, R.M., Melo, D.M.A., Aquino, F.M. et al. Characterization and comparative study of pyrolysis kinetics of the rice husk and the elephant grass. J Therm Anal Calorim 115, 1915–1920 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-013-3503-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-013-3503-7

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