Experimental weight loss kinetics of wood pyrolysis under vacuum

In this paper, the weight loss of four different woods during vacuum pyrolysis at constant temperature and at constant heating rate are reported. Based on these results, an empirical model of the weight loss rate as a function of temperature has been developed. The model assumes that wood is composed of three major components: cellulose, lignin, and a mixture of hemicellulose and volatiles. Under vacuum conditions, it is also assumed that the pyrolysis of these components proceeds independently of the others. The resulting kinetic parameters can be used to predict volatilization rates of wood as a function of temperature in a vacuum. The model may also be used to estimate the quantities of each of the main components initially present in an unknown wood sample.