A Study on the Relationship between Fuel Composition and Pyrolysis Kinetics

This paper investigates the relationship of the pyrolysis rate constant (k) for a series of coal and biomass fuels and fuel blends to the factors of fuel rank, temperature, oxygen content, and molar ratios of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in an attempt to develop a model using these parameters. The rate constant, based on an Arrhenius dependence on the temperature, was calculated using the preexponential factor (A) and activation energy (E) obtained from pyrolysis kinetic experiments conducted in a drop-tube reactor (DTR). DTR tests were conducted at temperatures ranging from 600 to 1600 C under argon. This study is a first approximation of the factors that are important in determining the rate constant at a given temperature. Data were analyzed using regression analysis based on the quantity and distribution of the data. Because of variability in the fuel types and coal ranks, it was not possible to develop a simple model relating pyrolysis kinetics to fuel composition parameters.