A KINETIC APPROACH TO THE FLASH PYROLYSIS OF BIOMASS IN A FLUIDIZED-BED REACTOR

A reaction scheme consisting of three independent parallel reactions has been used to describe the primary reactions of fir wood pyrolysis in a fluidized bed reactor, in the temperature range 400-500-degrees-C. A simple first order kinetic model and a model assuming an ultimate yield of each product at infinite time (UYM) have been applied to the evolution of total volatiles and gases. The UYM has been proved to be adequate for the prediction of the experimental results. An activation energy of 56.48 kJ mol-1 and 94.49 kJ mol-1 has been estimated for the evolution of total volatiles and gases respectively. Carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide are the primary gaseous products from fir wood pyrolysis.