Decomposition of Bio-polymers of Some Mediterranean Plants During Heating

Forest fires are a plague for all countries in the world. Many factors can induce them. The organic matter (‘fuel’) in the plant, is often responsible for the start of the fire. The bio-polymers and mainly the cellulose decompose at about 300°C with flammable evolved gas. This decomposition is first order, and the activation energy is about 180 kJ mol⁻¹ . On the other hand, the degradation of the lignin seems more complex, but we observed on many samples, a linearly decomposition of the lignin vs. the heating rate (in the interval close to the start of the forest fire, 300 to 3000°C h⁻¹ ). The decomposition of the plant during the heat is mainly dependent on the cellulose level. This degradation is also slightly dependent on the lignin level mainly if the lignin present in this plant is less stable. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.