Co-Combustion Characteristics and Kinetics of Cotton Stalk and Polypropylene Blends

Abstract

The combustion kinetics of biomass-cotton stalk (CS), polymer-polypro-pylene (PP) and blend of polymer/biomass-polypropylene/cotton stalk blends were examined through thermo gravimetric analysis in this study. The experiments were performed under non-isothermal conditions in the 298 - 873 K temperature interval. The heating rate of this research realized under the air atmosphere was designated as 5 K·min-1. The particle size effect on the combustion behavior of cotton stalk was also studied. A decrease in the maximum rate of decomposition and an increase in the temperature of maximum decomposition with increasing particle size were obtained. Three different models based on the Arrhenius method were used to analyze differential thermo gravimetric data. Blending ratio effects of biomass-cotton stalk and polymer-polypropylene on the combustion kinetics were further explored. Additionally, factors and kinetic parameters were also discussed. Activation energies obtained through the Arrhenius method (n = 1) were much lower than that of polypropylene for all blends. As a result of the research, as the weight percentage of polypropylene in the mixture rises, an increase in activation energy values was observed. The minimum value of the activation energy was calculated with PP/CS with 2/3 blending ratio as 35.8 kJ·mol-1.