Kinetics of the thermal decomposition of Eucommia ulmoides Oliver leaves and its fermentation products

ABSTRACT

The pyrolysis characteristics of Eucommia ulmoides Oliver leaves untreated and treated by biological fermentation were investigated using thermogravimetric analysis. The derivative thermogravimetry curves, kinetic characteristics, and activation energy of the samples were significantly different from other biomass. The average activation energies (253.40 and 268.77 kJ/mol, 257.71, and 270.82 kJ/mol) were close almost similar to that obtained from Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose and Flynn–Wall–Ozawa methods and were higher due to the presence of gutta-percha. Meanwhile, the decomposition and kinetic characteristics could be changed by fermentation technology. Besides, Coats–Redfern revealed that second-order model (f(α) = (1–α)²) could be used to better describe the decomposition mechanism of these samples.

KEYWORDS:

• Eucommia ulmoides Oliver leaves
• thermogravimetric analysis
• pyrolysis characteristics
• kinetic
• decomposition mechanism

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the GDAS’ Project of Science and Technology Development under Grant (2017GDASCX-0702); National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant (31660181); the Educational Commission of Hunan Province of China under Grant (16A175); and the National & local United Engineering Laboratory of Integrative Utilization Technology of Eucommia ulmoides under Grant (NLE201602 and NLE201704).