Determinación de los parámetros cinéticos de degradación térmica de los subproductos de las plantas de beneficio mediante análisis termogravimétrico y calorimetría de barrido diferencial

Empty fruit bunches (EFB), fiber, and shell are the main solid residues produced during extraction of oil from oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.). Thermo gravimetric (TG) and differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) analyses of these materials were carried out on samples as received and after solvent extraction. Presence of extractives and ash had a strong effect on the thermal behavior of EFB. Observed thermal degradation behavior was described using two analytical approaches. The first approach considered that biomass thermal degradation occurs in three consecutive steps, while the second approach used three independent reactions as the model. The shapes of the TG and DSC curves were used to identify the degradation steps. The thermal degradation activation energy (E) and pre-exponential factor (A) obtained by both approaches were very similar.