KINETIC AND THERMODYNAMIC STUDIES OF THE DEVOLATILIZATION OF PUMPKIN PODS (Telfairia occidentalis Hook F.) WASTES

Nneka R. Agbale; Mike Ajieh; Gamaliel O. Atonuje; Kingsley O. Adiotomre; Solomon N. Eze; David Atugba; Izuchukwu F. Okafor

doi:10.4314/njt.v44i1.5

Authors

N. R. Agbale Department of Chemical Engineering, Delta State University, Nigeria
M. Ajieh Department of Chemical Engineering, Delta State University, Nigeria
G. O. Atonuje Department of Chemical Engineering, Delta State University, Nigeria
K. O. Adiotomre Department of Chemical Engineering, Delta State University, Nigeria
S. M. Eze Department of Chemical Engineering, Delta State University, Nigeria
D. Atugba Department of Chemical Engineering, Delta State University, Nigeria
I. F. Okafor National Centre for Energy Research and Development, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4314/njt.v44i1.5

Keywords:

Pumpkin pods, biofuel, Pyrolysis, energy generation, kinetic models, thermodynamic parameters

Abstract

Waste accruing from Pumpkin pod (Telfairia occidentalis Hook F.) was exposed to pyrolysis at varying temperatures namely; 350^oC, 400^oC, 500^oC and 600^oC and the heating rates were monitored at 0.17, 0.33 and 0.5 ^oC/sec. The biochar were then characterized in terms of yield, proximate composition and the process kinetics evaluated using Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO), Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS) and Starink models. The models also showed the behaviour of the biochar with respect to to change in temperature. Proximate analysis of the biochar shows that it contains 11.77% moisture, 2.64%ash 12.50% fixed carbon and 73.10% volatile matter with a heating value of 17.91 MJ/kg. Furthermore, at 10^oC/min, 20^oC/min and 30/min, the biochar yield (wt%) decreased from 63.1 to 42.13, 59.87 to 38.33 and 51.91 to 32.12 respectively as pyrolysis temperature increased from 350^oC to 600^oC. FWO, KAS and Starink models, show high R² squared values greater than 0.9400, which indicate a good fit of the models. The mean activation energy (E_A) obtained for FWO, KAS and Starink models were 157.68kJ/mol, 157.23kJ/mol and 157.38kJ/mol. The thermodynamics results for FWO, KAS and Starink models show an average enthalpy of 152.30kJ/mol, 157.44kJ/mol and 155.14KJ/mol, average free energy of 112.89kJ/mol, 122.77kJ/mol and 116.73kJ/mol and low average entropy of 0.077kJ/mol, 0.075kJ/mol and 0.073kJ/mol. The optimization of the thermal conversion of pumpkin pod for energy and sequestration purposes is provided by the theoretical analysis of this study.

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