Thermal decomposition and kinetics of coal and fermented cornstalk using thermogravimetric analysis

[Display omitted] •Synergetic interaction occurred between biomass and coal during co-pyrolysis process.•The order reaction model function for the blends was developed.•Pyrolysis process was evolved from ordered-state to disordered-state. The thermal behavior and kinetics of Yiluo coal (YC) and the residues of fermented cornstalk (FC) were investigated in this study. The Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS) and Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO) methods were used for the kinetic analysis of the pyrolysis process. The results showed that the activation energy (Eα) was increased with the increase of the thermal conversion rate (α), and the average values of Eα of YC, FC and the blend (mYC/mFC = 6/4) were 304.26, 224.94 and 233.46 kJ/mol, respectively. The order reaction model function for the blend was also developed by the master-plots method. By comparing the Ea and the enthalpy, it was found that the blend was favored to format activated complex due to the lower potential energy barrier. Meanwhile, the average value of Gibbs free energy of the blend was 169.83 kJ/mol, and the changes of entropies indicated that the pyrolysis process was evolved from ordered-state to disordered-state.