Analysis of pyrolysis and gasification reactions of hydrothermally and supercritically upgraded low-rank coal by using a new distributed activation energy model

Hydrothermal water treatments and supercritical (SC) water treatments of a lignite were performed to examine the feasibility of upgrading low-rank coals. The treatment below 400°C was found to be effective enough to keep high gasification reactivity at high temperature, as well as to suppress spontaneous combustion. The pyrolysis and gasification behaviors of raw and pretreated coals were examined by thermogravimetry (TG). The kinetic analysis was carried out based on a new distributed activation energy model (DAEM) presented by Miura [K. Miura, Energy & Fuels, (12), 864–869 (1998).]. According to this method, thermogravimetric curves measured at two or more different heating rates were needed to obtain the activation energy distribution function f(E) of a given coal sample. It was found that in the case of pyrolysis, the peak values of f(E) curves for upgraded coal samples are nearly 300 kJ/mol, whereas, the peak value of f(E) curve for their parent coal is about 200 kJ/mol. In the case of gasification, where only single reactions occur, the application of this new DAEM can give the changes of activation energy during reaction. Some interesting results occur, which may hint at some changes in the rate-controlling step of reaction or in the physical structure of coal during gasification.