The dual-competitive parallel kinetic model with an efficient optimization algorithm for describing polymer pyrolysis accurately

Thermal analysis is an important method to evaluate the thermal stability of polymer materials; however, efficiently describing the complex pyrolysis process of polymers remains a great challenge. In this paper, a new dual-competitive parallel-reaction kinetics model is proposed for describing the thermogravimetric lines of material pyrolysis processes. In the proposed method, peak analysis, dual-competitive reaction form, and parallel reaction mechanism are combined to build the kinetic model of resin polymer pyrolysis. The model includes peak-determined reaction components, and each reaction component is divided into two competitive reactions. The two competitive reactions are obtained by conducting initial peak analysis and subsequent global parameter optimization. The rebuilt thermogravimetric line via the proposed model agrees well with the experimental data, with few reaction compositions and low computational cost. In addition, the pyrolysis of synthetic polymers and natural biomass are also successfully described by the model with high accuracy. This work provides an updated kinetic model for describing polymer pyrolysis accurately, which may advance the thermal analysis in developing polymers of complex pyrolysis behavior.