Determination of kinetic parameters and analytical pyrolysis of tobacco waste and sorghum bagasse

The thermal decomposition of tobacco waste and sorghum bagasse was investigated by non-isothermal thermogravimetric analyses, applying slow heating rates and well-defined conditions. The purpose of evaluating the decomposition was to estimate the kinetic parameters of the analyzed materials. Activation energies and Arrhenius exponential factors were inferred by different estimation methods: the classical methods of Ozawa and Starink and the independent parallel reactions model. The analytical pyrolysis was performed in a micro-pyrolyzer coupled to a gas chromatographer/mass spectrometer. Values of activation energy obtained with single step reaction models by the Ozawa method were: 103.94 kJ/mol for tobacco waste and 120.01 kJ/mol for sorghum bagasse, and by the Starink method - 135.95 kJ/mol for tobacco waste and 148.91 kJ/mol for sorghum bagasse. The independent parallel reaction model presented energy activation values of 39.7-272.0 kJ/mol for tobacco waste and 35.7-220.0 kJ/mol for sorghum bagasse. In analytical slow and fast pyrolysis of tobacco residue and sorghum bagasse, holocellulose and lignin-derived compounds were identified, as well as hydrocarbons and aromatic hydrocarbons. The kinetic behavior of the materials are presented and discussed. Our findings may be helpful in evaluating other types of lignocellulosic biomass.