Pyrolysis characteristics and kinetics of the alga Saccharina japonica

• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2012.07.097
• Publication Date: 2012-08-03T01:37:12Z
• Authors: Seung-Soo Kim; Hoang Vu Ly; Gyeong-Ho Choi; Jinsoo Kim; Hee Chul Woo
• Keywords: Kinetics; Phaeophyceae; Charcoal; Thermogravimetry; Temperature; 0202 electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering; Biomass; 02 engineering and technology; Elements; Oils; Biotechnology

Saccharina japonica can be converted to bio-oil, gas, and char through pyrolysis. In this study, the pyrolysis characteristics of S. japonica were investigated using a thermogravimetric analyzer. Most of the materials decomposed between 200°C and 350°C at heating rates of 10-20°C/min. The apparent activation energy increased from 102.5kJmol(-1) to 269.7kJmol(-1) with increasing pyrolysis conversion. The kinetic parameters of S. japonica pyrolysis were determined using nonlinear least-squares regression of the experimental data assuming first-order kinetics. The kinetic rate constants indicated that the predominant reaction pathway was B (bio-oil) to C (gas; C(1)-C(4)), rather than A (S. japonica) to B (bio-oil) and/or to C (gas; C(1)-C(4)). The proposed lumped kinetics of S. japonica pyrolysis offers a guide for the scale-up of the process at the research and industrial level.