An empirical model to obtain the kinetic parameters of lignocellulosic biomass pyrolysis in an independent parallel reactions scheme

•Proposal of two approaches easily applicable in an independent parallel reaction scheme without iterative process.•New empirical correlations for obtaining kinetic parameters from a first order one-step global reaction.•Three experimental conditions, heating rate, peak temperature, and peak conversion rate to determine the kinetic parameters.•The determination of kinetic parameters was carried out in two easy steps providing accurate and reliable results.

The aim of this work was to propose a new analysis procedure to obtain the kinetic parameters of lignocellulosic biomass pyrolysis assuming first order reactions in independent parallel scheme using sugarcane straw as case study. The thermogravimetric experiments were carried out using heating rates between 1.25 °C/min and 10 °C/min. Firstly, considering 700 different scenarios were obtained correlations between pre-exponential factor and activation energy from simulations of a first order global reaction. In these correlations only three experimental parameters are strictly necessary such as heating rate, peak temperature and peak conversion rate. Two approaches were proposed to apply the correlations in an independent parallel reactions scheme in order to obtain the kinetic parameters of lignocellulosic biomass pyrolysis. The results obtained with both approaches presented a good agreement between experimental and modeled data. Therefore, the correlations proposed will help in the kinetic parameters determination providing reliable results.