THERMOGRAVIMETRIC STUDY OF THE DECOMPOSITION OF PELLETIZED CELLULOSE AT 315-DEGREES-C-800-DEGREES-C

The thermal decomposition rate of pelletized cellulose cylinders in a laboratory furnace was studied to simulate the pyrolytic and combustive behavior of pelletized refuse-derived fuel (RDF). The decomposition rate was determined by measuring the mass-loss rate of three mass groups of cylinders at several fixed furnace temperatures over the range of 315 degree C-800 degree C and in both air and nitrogen atmospheres. The decomposition for all conditions tended to follow first-order reaction kinetics throughout the majority of the reaction and the rate of mass loss for cylinders in atmospheres of flowing air and nitrogen was found to be similar. The apparent Arrhenius activation energy ranged throughout the major course of the decomposition from 2. 1 to 8. 0 kcal/mol. A simple model is developed to describe the rate of weight loss.