Kinetic study of the thermal decomposition of polypropylene, oil shale, and their mixture

The thermal decomposition behavior of polypropylene, oil shale and a 1:3 mixture of the two was investigated in a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) reaction system in an argon atmosphere, with a view to comparing the process of the mixture with those of the individual components. Experiments were conducted at three heating rates of 5, 10, and 15 K min−1, in the temperature range of 30–900°C. The obtained activation energies were 250 kJ kg−1 for polypropylene, 63 kJ kg−1 for the oil shale organic matter, and 242 kJ kg−1 for the mixture. The results indicate that the characteristics of the process depend on the heating rate, and that polypropylene acts as a catalyst in the degradation of oil shale in the mixture.