Kinetic analysis of the slow pyrolysis of paper wastes

Thermochemical parameters of A4-sized printing paper (AP), filter paper (FP), newspaper (NP), writing paper (WP), and reed pith (RP) samples were estimated using standard protocol to identify its fuel characteristics, and thermal degradation of the same was studied using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermogravimetric (DTG) techniques in the temperature range of 30–800 °C at the heating rates of 10, 15, and 20 °C/min under nitrogen atmosphere. The curves of TGA and DTG exhibited four significant stages. Maximum weight loss was found to be in the second stage. Kinetic analysis was carried out in the conversion range of 0.1 to 0.7 using iso-conversational models of Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO), Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS), Vyazovkin, and Vyazovkin AIC (V.AIC). The average activation energies were found to be 139.90, 115.93, 212.52, 257.41, and 241.63 kJ/mol using FWO; 129.73, 103.06, 202.46, 248.38, and 231.55 kJ/mol using KAS; 145.57, 134.00, 195.29, 256, and 241.63 kJ/mol using Vyazovkin; and 140.71, 133.86, 193.14, 247.57, and 190.14 kJ/mol using Vyazovkin AIC model. Thermodynamic parameters (enthalpy change (ΔH), Gibbs free energy change (ΔG), and entropy change (ΔS)) using these models have been evaluated. Graphical abstract