title: Kinetics of the pyrolytic and hydrothermal decomposition of water hyacinth.
abstract: The kinetics of water hyacinth decomposition using pyrolysis and hydrothermal treatment was compared. With pyrolysis, initial vaporization occurred at 453 K as determined by thermogravimetric analysis, while initial solubilisation occurred at 433 K with subcritical hydrothermal treatment. The "kinetic triplet" was determined for the ranges of 423-483 K (range I) and 473-553 K (range II) using the Coats-Redfern method for both treatments. The calculated activation energies for ranges I and II were 110 and 116 kJ/mol for conventional pyrolysis and 145 and 90 kJ/mol for hydrothermal treatment. The similar activation energies for the two temperature ranges observed for pyrolysis implied that only hemicellulose decomposition occurred. For hydrothermal treatment, both hemicellulose and cellulose decomposition occurred in temperature range II, in which a notable lower activation energy was observed. This implied hydrothermal treatment was more suitable for conversion lignocellulosic biomass under these conditions.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Polluted Environment Remediation and Ecological Health, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou Zhejiang 310029, China.
authors.forename: Guang'en
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: P James
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Strong
authors.forename: Hailong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wuzhong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.forename: Weiyong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shi
mesh_terms: D031806:Eichhornia / Q000737:chemistry*; D006868:Hydrolysis; D007700:Kinetics; D008954:Models, Biological; D013696:Temperature; D013818:Thermogravimetry; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D014867:Water