KINETIC-MODEL FOR PYROLYSIS OF CELLULOSE

It has been shown that the pyrolysis of cellulose at low pressure (1.5 Torr) can be described by a three reaction model. In this model, it is assumed that an “initiation reaction” leads to formation of an “active cellulose” which subsequently decomposes by two competitive first‐order reactions, one yielding volatiles and the other char and a gaseous fraction. Over the temperature range of 259–341°C, the rate constants of these reactions, ki (for cellulose → “active cellulose”), kv (for “active cellulose” → “volatiles”), and kc (for “active cellulose” → char + the gaseous fraction) are given by ki = 1.7 × 1021e− (58,000/RT) min −1, kv = 1.9 × 1016e− (47,300/RT) min−1, and kc = 7.9 × 1011e− (36,600/RT) min−1, respectively. Copyright © 1979 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.