Kinetic and Mechanism of Cellulose Thermal Degradation

Abstract

Cellulose is one of the biomaterials that have been studied over recent decades due to the many wide applications with the potential to be used extensively as a future material. Flame controlling using cellulose is a key process for fire safety, energy management, and reducing environmental pollution. Therefore, kinetics of the thermal degradation of cellulosic materials is of interesting for researchers. Hence, in the present study, the reaction kinetics of cellulose thermal degradation is investigated using thermogravimetric method at temperature range of 580 to 610 K. Fitting method and model Free are used to obtain the governing mechanism and kinetics parameters of this phenomenon. It is obtained that the mechanism of this degradation process follows the geometrical contraction models. Dependency of the degradation rate on the amount of cellulose is obtained as power functions with 1/2 and 1/3 powers, which indicate the governance of the area and volume contracting mechanisms, respectively. Finally, the activation energy of cellulose degradation is obtained about 18 kJ.mol− 1.