Devolatilisation kinetics and pyrolytic analyses of Tectona grandis (teak)

Devolatilisation kinetics and pyrolytic analyses were carried out on Tectona grandis (teak) using iso-conversional methods (Flynn–Wall–Ozawa and Starink) and analytical Py-GC/MS technique respectively. Proximate and elemental analyses were also performed and they showed that the ash and C contents and the HHV were 0.7%, 49.6% and 19.8 MJ/kg respectively. Biomass sample was subjected to multiple heating rates (5–35 K/min) in thermogravimetric experiments and kinetic parameters were evaluated from the non-isothermal TGA curves. The activation energy (E) varied between 222 and 300 kJ/mol as a function of degree of conversion. Similarly, the pre-exponential frequency factor (A) varied between 9.6 × 1017 and 9.55 × 1024 min−1. Analytical Py-GC/MS showed the presence of CO2, acetic acid, furan + 2-butanone, levoglucosan, trans-coniferyl alcohol and lignin derivatives. The proportion of phenolic compounds identified was more than one-third with isoeugenol, acetoguaiacone, and 4-vinylguaiacol showing dominance.