Numerical Integration of Weight Loss Curves for Kinetic Analysis

Abstract

Research abounds in the literature on kinetic analyses using thermogravimetric (TG) runs. Many of these studies use approximations of integral or derivative forms of the kinetic law and all of them use programmed temperatures. In the present work, a numerical integration procedure was discussed and applied to different examples. We focused on materials presenting a single decomposition curve as well as other materials with more complex processes. Different examples were explored, and the methodology was applied to a number of wastes such as coffee husks, polystyrene and polyethylene. In all cases, the actual temperature measured by thermocouples close to the sample is used, and several runs are fitted using the same kinetic parameters, giving robustness to the results.