Date of Award

5-1-1984

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Chemical Engineering

Abstract

The pyrolysis of Indian Head lignitic coal in argon, carbon monoxide and hydrogen was studied to obtain a kinetic model of the process and to determine heat effects . A Du Pont 910 differential scanning calorimeter and a Du Pont 951 therm ogravim etric analyzer were utilized to measure heat effects and weight loss respectively.

N eith er the s in g le - r e a c t io n nor the d is tr ib u te d a c t iv a tio n energy p y r o ly s is models generated k in e tic parameters o f general valu e, although both models p red icted p y r o ly s is weight loss adequately. A procedure to determine the heat o f p y r o ly s is was d evised , re q u irin g the c o l l e c t i o n and ma n ip u la tio n o f c o a l, char, blank and c e l l c a lib r a t io n c a l o r i metry thermograms and a p y r o ly s is mass thermogram fo r each heat o f p y r o ly s is determ ination. The heat o f p y r o ly s is in an in e rt atmosphere was determined to be exothermic in the range o f 70 to 110 j/ g over a range o f 350 to 550 C. L ig n ite subjected to 400 psig atmospheres o f carbon monoxide and hydrogen e x h ib ite d thermograms with d is t in c t exothermic c h a r a c te r is tic s above 460 C, which were not observed under in e r t atmospheric co n d itio n s. P y r o ly t ic heat e f f e c t s had l i t t l e in flu en ce on the in te rn a l heat balance o f the U n iver s i t y o f North Dakota Energy Research Center's fixed-bed slagging gasifier.

No d e f i n i t i v e heat o f p y r o ly is valu e was determined under any con d ition . However, with experim ental refinem ents, c h a r a c t e r is tic heats o f p y r o ly s is o f d i f f e r e n t coals may be d e f i n i t i v e l y measured. A lso, i t is suggested that d i f f e r e n t i a l ca lo rim e try and mass thermograms, used in tandem, may be o f value in determ ining v o l a t i l e mass tr a n s fe r rates, which would be o f b e n e fit in c o a l p y r o ly is modeling.

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