Kinetic Analysis of the Thermal Decomposition of Lowland and High-Moor Peats

The thermal decomposition of two types of peat from the Vladimir oblast of Russia in an inert atmosphere of argon was studied for the first time with the combined use of thermogravimetry, Fourier transform IR spectroscopy, and kinetic analysis. The majority of gaseous products (CO2, CO, and CH4) were released at the main stage of pyrolysis at a decomposition temperature of 150-540 degrees C, which was accompanied by the greatest weight loss. As a result of thermal decomposition, the predominant portion of the organic matter of peat passed into a gas phase. The Ozava-Flynn-Wall integral isoconversion method and the Criado method were used to calculate the kinetic parameters of the thermal decomposition of peat and to determine the mechanism of decomposition, respectively. The activation energies of peat varied in a range of 54-271 kJ/mol, and heat transfer occurred through three-dimensional diffusion.