The kinetic expressions considered for the decomposition of heterogeneous solids, with several reactions and inert compounds, are discussed. Proposals of the best way for expressing the kinetic equations are presented, as a consequence of the mathematical analysis used. A discussion on the number of parameters that can be obtained in the correlation of experimental data is also presented. In addition, a method for comparing the kinetic constants is proposed. This analysis is applied to thermal decomposition data of several wastes where potential laws have been considered. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.