Synergistic effects from co-pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass with low-rank coal: A perspective based on the interaction of organic components

•A method based on the interaction of organic components for exploring the synergistic effect of co-pyrolysis was proposed.•Positive synergy from volatile products was observed with the adding of vitrinite with 25%.•Inertinite inhibited the formation of volatiles during co-pyrolysis with negative synergy.•No obvious synergy was observed for acid-washed low-rank coal with cellulose at the hating rate of 10 or 20 ℃·min−1.•The integrative action of maceral groups played a significant role during the co-pyrolysis process. A methodological approach towards synergistic effects from co-pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass with low-rank coal was proposed. The main maceral group from low-rank coal and primary organic components from biomass were selected to investigate the interaction of organic components. Thermal behavior and kinetic analysis on the co-pyrolysis of cellulose with acid-washed low-rank coal/vitrinite/inertinite were explored via TGA combined with iso-conversional method. The results indicated that the maceral group from low-rank coal showed different synergistic effects on the pyrolysis parameters and product distribution. The synergistic effect of vitrinite on the yield of volatile was closely related to its mass ratio. Positive and negative synergistic effects were observed when the mass ratio of vitrinite was 25% and 75%, respectively. Inertinite inhibited the formation of volatiles during co-pyrolysis and overall exhibited a negative synergy. No obvious synergy was observed for acid-washed low-rank coal when the heating was 10 °C·min−1 and 20 °C·min−1, while positive synergistic effects were found at a high mass ratio and heating rate. The integrative action of maceral groups played a significant role during the co-pyrolysis process.