Distinct splitting of polymeric cellulosic signals in cashew shell: a TG-diagnosis

Distinct splitting of the cellulosic polymer signal was seen in thermogravimetric analysis of cashew shell (CS). The splitting was more pronounced in CS as compared to cashew shell cake. The splitting of cellulosic polymer peaks was ascribed to cellulosic depolymerization occurring in two phases during thermal degradation of CS. Three protective tissue configurations of CS was considered responsible for this phenomenon. Kinetics were compared by using two model free isoconversional methods, namely the Friedman and Ozawa-Flynn-Wall.