Investigation on thermochemical behaviour of low rank Malaysian coal, oil palm biomass and their blends during pyrolysis via thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).
This study aims to investigate the behaviour of Malaysian sub-bituminous coal (Mukah Balingian), oil palm biomass (empty fruit bunches (EFB), kernel shell (PKS) and mesocarp fibre (PMF)) and their respective blends during pyrolysis using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The coal/palm biomass blends were prepared at six different weight ratios and experiments were carried out under dynamic conditions using nitrogen as inert gas at various heating rates to ramp the temperature from 25 degrees C to 900 degrees C. The derivative thermogravimetric (DTG) results show that thermal decomposition of EFB, PMF and PKS exhibit one, two and three distinct evolution profiles, respectively. Apparently, the thermal profiles of the coal/oil palm biomass blends appear to correlate with the percentage of biomass added in the blends, thus, suggesting lack of interaction between the coal and palm biomass. First-order reaction model were used to determine the kinetics parameters for the pyrolysis of coal, palm biomass and their respective blends.
Idris
Siti Shawalliah
SS
Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA Malaysia, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. shawal075@salam.uitm.edu.my
Abd Rahman
Norazah
N
Ismail
Khudzir
K
Alias
Azil Bahari
AB
Abd Rashid
Zulkifli
Z
Aris
Mohd Jindra
MJ
D018533:Biomass; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D003031:Coal / Q000032:analysis*; D007700:Kinetics; D008296:Malaysia; D000073878:Palm Oil; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry*; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; D013696:Temperature; D013818:Thermogravimetry; D014835:Volatilization
D003031:Coal; D010938:Plant Oils; D000073878:Palm Oil