Thermo-kinetic analysis of co-pyrolysis of Platanus tree leaves with coals

A thermo-kinetic study was conducted on the co-pyrolysis of Platanus tree leaves (PTL) with two different Chinese coals: Shanxi coal (SXC) and Inner Mongolia coal (IMC). The experiments were performed at various blending ratios and four different pyrolysis heating rates. The Friedman method was used to evaluate the kinetic parameters, while the Z(alpha) master plot approach was employed to identify the appropriate reaction model. The average activation energy values of PTL, SXC and IMC were 153.13, 275.12 and 323.04 kJ/mol, respectively. Increasing the proportion of PTL in the blends resulted in a decrease in the average activation energy values. Moreover, the thermodynamic parameters were also estimated. The values of enthalpy change and Gibbs free energy change were positive for each blend, indicating that the reactions were endothermic and non-spontaneous. The average entropy change was negative for most PTL-SXC blends, as well as for the PTL60+IMC40 and PTL80+IMC20 samples. Additionally, the synergistic effects during co-pyrolysis were also analyzed.