Thermal and thermo-oxidative characterisation of rice straw for its use in energy valorisation processes

Abstract

The processes of pyrolysis and combustion of rice straw will be carried out in a spouted bed reactor. Both thermo-chemical processes were simulated in the first stage by multi-rate linear non-isothermal thermogravimetric (TGA) experiments using Ar and O2 as carrier gas respectively. The results obtained from the TGA measurements, the kinetic methodology based on the combination of the iso-conversional methods Friedman, Flynn–Wall–Ozawa, Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose, Vyazovkin and the use of Master Plots assessed by Perez-Maqueda criterion have permitted to describe mathematically both thermo-chemical reactions. Lower operational temperatures and higher kinetic parameters (Ea, n, A) were required to carry out combustion reactions respect to those for pyrolysis. These results will be the initial parameters that will define both thermo-chemical processes in a spouted bed reactor.