Thermogravimetric Determination of the Kinetics of Petroleum Needle Coke Formation by Decantoil Thermolysis

This work presents the results of thermogravimetric analysis of decantoil. The microstructure of the extracted petroleum coke during the thermolysis of decantoil in an inert nitrogen atmosphere at 1000 °C was studied by scanning electron microscopy and interpreted as acicular. The model free kinetic approach based on Friedman’s isoconversion method was used to calculate the kinetic characteristics of decantoil thermolysis-activation energy and pre-exponential factor. The individual hydrocarbon composition of decantoil was determined by gas chromatography mass spectrometry, which was used to determine the activation energy of evaporation of its fractions. The total energy spent on the chemical reactions of cracking and thermopolycondensation was determined when the degree of decantoil conversion was changed from 0.1 to 0.9.