KINETIC PARAMETERS AND LIFETIME ESTIMATION OF RICE HUSK AND CLAY BY USING THE THERMOGRAVIMETRIC ANALYSIS (TGA)

Rice husk and clay are materials commonly used in agricultural and industrial processes, for this reason the study of thermal decomposition kinetics in different environments is of scientific interest. In this work the kinetic parameters (activation energy, reaction order and preexponential factor) that characterize the rice husk and clay decomposition processes were calculated by using the thermogravimetric analysis technique (TGA). In the testing, nitrogen and air atmospheres were used and the samples were subject to temperature ramps from room temperature to 800 degrees C, with a heat rate of 10 degrees C/min. In order to determine the kinetic parameters a method based in the linealized Arrhenius's equation was used. The solution was obtained with StatGraphics Plus 5.1 software. Rice husk results showed kinetic parameters and lifetime lower to those for the clay, explained by its high durability and degradation resistance.