Effect of Ash Content on the Pyrolysis of Indian Origin Coal

The current research investigates the kinetics of non-isothermal and isothermal pyrolysis of three different coal types (with different ash content) using the thermogravimetric (TGA) method in an argon atmosphere. The effect of mineral matter content on the pyrolysis characteristics was presented within the temperature range 600–1000 °C. The high ash coal sample used in the present study was collected from Talcher region, Orissa State, India. The coal sample was divided into three fractions (1.4, 1.6, 1.8) using the density separation technique to examine the effect of mineral matter or ash content on the coal pyrolysis during isothermal and non-isothermal heating. The results in the current study show that the mineral matter content helps in aiding the devolatilization rates in the pyrolysis process. Compared to the other coals, the 1.8 coal with a high ash content shows the maximum mass loss rate in the devolatilization range. The mass loss rate for the 1.4, 1.6, and 1.8 coals is found to be 1.2 μg/min, 1.2 μg/min, and 1.7 μg/min respectively. In isothermal conditions, the activation energies for 1.4, 1.6, and 1.8 is found to be 4.49 kJ/mol, 4.58 kJ/mol, and 12.5 kJ/mol, respectively.