A kinetic study of pyrolysis in pitch impregnated electrodes

Carbon electrodes impregnated with three different pitches have been studied and compared. The electrode samples were heated up to 893 K in a thermogravimetric analyser at different heating rates. The weight loss was recorded with respect to time and temperature. A special technique and a calculation procedure have been developed to handle the pitch dripping from the electrode at low temperatures. A kinetic model assuming a first order reaction rate was used to interpret the data. This paper presents the experimental technique and the results of the study. The model predictions are compared with the data which shows a good agreement.