Slow pyrolysis kinetic analysis of nutshell biomass

To investigate the slow pyrolysis kinetic process of the nutshell biomass, thermogravimetric analysis experiment at inert atmosphere of two species of nutshell biomass (peanut shell and sunflower hull) was performed. A competitive pyrolysis reaction model was used to explain the pyrolysis of the nutshell biomass. A new empirical kinetic mechanism function was put forward based on the existing kinetic mechanism functions. Kinetic analysis for the experimental data was carried out using pattern search method, a modern optimization technique. The results show that the new kinetic mechanism function can very effectively describe the slow pyrolysis kinetic process of nutshell biomass.