Isothermal and non-isothermal torrefaction characteristics and kinetics of microalga Scenedesmus obliquus CNW-N

• The pyrolysis of S. obliquus CNW-N is characterized by four-stage decomposition.
• Non-isothermal torrefaction gives more severe pretreatment than the isothermal one.
• Increasing the heating rate of non-isothermal torrefaction intensifies the pretreatment severity.
• The activation energy of isothermal is 57.52 kJ mol−1.
• The activation energy of non-isothermal torrefaction is between 40.14 and 88.41 kJ mol−1.

Isothermal and non-isothermal torrefaction characteristics and kinetics of microalga Scenedesmus obliquus (S. obliquus) CNW-N are studied using thermogravimetric analysis. The pyrolysis of S. obliquus CNW-N with increasing temperature is characterized by four-stage decomposition. Depending on the torrefaction temperature, light, mild, and severe torrefaction from the weight loss and the maximum decomposition rate of the microalga can be classified. Under the same average temperature and torrefaction duration, non-isothermal torrefaction gives more severe pretreatment than the isothermal one. Increasing the heating rate of non-isothermal torrefaction also intensifies the pretreatment severity. Therefore, microalgae can be torrefied via non-isothermal torrefaction in a shorter time under the same pretreatment extent. The atomic H/C ratio in the microalga decreases with increasing torrefaction severity, whereas the atomic O/C ratio rises. The analysis suggests that the activation energy of isothermal torrefaction is 57.52 × 103 J mol−1, while it is between 40.14 × 103 and 88.41 × 103 J mol−1 for non-isothermal torrefaction.

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