Influence of heating rate on reactivity and surface chemistry of chars derived from pyrolysis of two Chinese low rank coals

A series of char samples were derived from pyrolysis of two typical low-rank coals in China (Shengli lignite and Shenmu bituminous coal) at low, medium and fast heating rates, respectively, to the same pyrolysis temperature 750 °C. Then these chars were characterized by means of thermogravimetric analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer with the aim to investigate the influence of heating rate in pyrolysis process on gasification reactivity and surface chemistry of them. Besides, a homogeneous model was used to quantitatively analyze the activation energy of gasification reaction. The results reveal that Shengli lignite and its derived chars behave higher gasification reactivity and have less content of oxygen functional groups than Shenmu coal and chars. Meanwhile, chars derived from Shengli lignite at 50 °C/min and Shenmu coal at 200 °C/min have the greatest gasification reactivity, respectively. The oxygen functional groups in Shengli lignite are easily thermo-decomposed, and they are less affected by the heating rate, while that in Shenmu coal have a significant change with the variation of heating rate. In addition, there is no good correlation between the change of oxygen functional groups and that of the gasification reactivity of the derived chars from pyrolysis at different heating rates.