Pyrolysis Characteristic and Kinetic of Sawdust-Polypropylene Blend

The pyrolysis characteristics of sawdust and polypropylene are studied using a thermogravimetric analyzer. The experimental results show that the thermal degradation of sawdust can be divided into three stages: dehydration, cellulose or semicellulose decomposition, and the devolatilization of lignin. While the decomposition of polypropylene is simpler than that of sawdust, which is not decomposed until temperature is above 660 K. Meanwhile, the pyrolysis process is rapidly completed due to the chemical bonds broken at 660–800 K. The kinetic parameters of sawdust and polypropylene are calculated on the basis of the experimental results. The pyrolysis of sawdust was successfully modeled by three independent, first order reactions, and the predicted results well match the experimental data. The decomposition of polypropylene can be described through only a first order reaction. As for the blend, we think that there is no interreaction between sawdust and polypropylene during pyrolysis. The comparison of the simulated and experimental results proves the above assumption.