Thermal degradation of coconut husk waste biomass under non-isothermal condition

Non-isothermal thermogravimetric analysis of coconut husk waste (CHW) biomass was conducted at 10, 20, and 30 degrees C/min in inert atmospheric conditions. The physicochemical characterization in terms of proximate, ultimate analysis, and lignocellulosic composition of CHW was done by using different analytical techniques. The characterization revealed that CHW contains higher volatile matter (67.8 wt.%), lower ash and moisture content while significantly higher HHV (17 MJ/kg). The kinetics and thermodynamic parameters were calculated using iso-conversional model-free methods, including Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS), Starink, and Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO), respectively. The calculated average activation energy values for CHW were found to be 232.17, 230.38, and 229.87 kJ/mol for FWO, KAS, and Starink models, respectively. The thermodynamic parameters such as enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs free energy for CHW were calculated using iso-conversional methods. The kinetic analysis and thermal degradation study disclosed that the CHW biomass can effectively be used in sustainable biofuel production.