Thermal Characterization and Model Free Kinetic Application on a Tar Sand Sample

Abstract

In the first part of this research, kinetic software was developed for the evaluation of kinetic parameters using nonisothermal thermogravimetry data. Different computational methods were used and applied to a set of experimental and simulated data distributed in the ICTAC (International Confederation for Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry) kinetics project. The reliability of the software was verified by comparing the kinetic results and it was observed that the results were in good agreement. In the second part, developed software was applied to determine the kinetics of a tar sand sample. Therefore, experiments were performed at three different heating rates, in the temperature range of 20-900 • C. Different stages of mass loss regions were observed in TG-DTG curves. Ozawa-Flynn-Wall (OFW), Kissinger, and AugisBennett kinetic models were used to determine the activation energy of tar sand sample and the results are discussed.