Kinetics study of thermal decomposition of sodium carboxylate salts Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • The MixAlco process ferments lignocellulosic biomass to carboxylate salts that are thermally decomposed into ketones, which are then chemically converted to a wide variety of chemicals and fuels. To perform these decompositions, suitable reaction models are necessary to properly design, scale, and optimize commercial reactors. For three salt types (sodium acetate, and two types of mixed sodium carboxylate salts), activation energy was determined using three isoconversional methods that employed TGA curves at different heating rates. For all three salt types, activation energy varied significantly with conversion. The average activation energy for sodium acetate was 226.65 kJ/mol, and the activation energies for the two mixed sodium carboxylate salts were 195.61, and 218.18 kJ/mol. In addition, three functions of conversion were employed to see which one best modeled the experimental data. The Sestak-Berggren model fits all three salt types best. 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

published proceedings

  • BIOMASS & BIOENERGY

author list (cited authors)

  • Landoll, M. P., & Holtzapple, M. T.

citation count

  • 5

complete list of authors

  • Landoll, Michael P||Holtzapple, Mark T

publication date

  • October 2012