DETERMINATION OF KINETIC-PARAMETERS OF SL OW PYROLYSIS OF MOROCCAN EUCALYPTUS WOOD

In the present paper, the kinetic parameters of the slow pyrolysis of Moroccan eucalyptus wood, a species frequently used in the traditional manufacture of charcoal, are determined by thermogravimetry. The kine tic parameters of Eucalyptus are compared to those of xylan, cellulose and lignin. The Coats-Redfern integral method is used to evaluate the thermogravimetric data obtained. The kinetic plots of xylan, cellulos e and lignin give a single line whereas eucalyptus gives a dual-segmen t. The results obtained show that the activation energy of the first s tep of the degradation of eucalyptus is lower than the activation ener gy of the second step. Taking into account, on the one hand, the decom position intervals of xylan and cellulose, and on the other, the fact that lignin decomposes in the entire temperature interval studied, we interpret the pyrolysis of eucalyptus as being the decomposition of li gnin accompanied by that of hemicellulose during the first stage, and by that of cellulose during the second stage.