Research progress of thermogravimetric analysis technology in the field of coal pyrolysis

FAN Lihua; XIE Jiahao; CHENG Huan; AN Zhanlai; XIAO Luying; LIANG Yinghua

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1007-7677.2025.03.004

Abstract：Coal pyrolysis,a crucial pathway for the clean and efficient conversion of coal,is capable of producing a variety of high-value-added products,including coal gas and coal tar.Thermogravimetric analysis(TGA),which enables the precise measurement of the relationship between the mass of substances and temperature under pro-grammed temperature control,has become one of the core means in the field of coal pyrolysis research.The applica-tion of TGA technology in coal pyrolysis can effectively mitigate the energy crisis and reduce environmental pollution.This paper elaborates on the application of TGA in the study of coal pyrolysis characteristics from aspects such as the characteristic temperatures and stage division of coal pyrolysis,as well as the influence of coal type differences on pyrolysis characteristics.Additionally,it discusses the application of TGA in the study of coal pyrolysis reac-tion kinetics from the overview of reaction kinetic models,the calculation and analysis of kinetic parameters,and the simulation and prediction of the coal pyrolysis process by kinetic models.Focusing on the application and re-search trends of TGA technology in the field of coal pyrolysis,this paper also expounds on the basic principles of TGA and the influencing factors of experiments.In the research on coal pyrolysis characteristics,the process is divided in-to three stages.Parameters such as the onset temperature,the temperature at the maximum weight-loss rate,and the termination temperature can be determined based on TG and DTG curves.Moreover,the pyrolysis character-istics vary significantly among different coal types and lithological compositions.In reaction kinetics research,models such as single-reaction models and distributed activation energy models,calculation methods such as integral methods and isoconversional methods,as well as studies on the influence of coal quality characteristics and reaction conditions on kinetic parameters,can all be used to simulate and predict the pyrolysis process.By reviewing the current re-search status of TGA technology in the field of coal pyrolysis,it is pointed out that when TGA is combined with oth-er technologies,there are still deficiencies in data processing and analysis methods.Future development trends in-clude constructing TGA devices with material flow characteristics similar to those of industrial reactors,studying the pyrolysis characteristics of coal under different dynamic conditions to improve the applicability and guiding value of TGA experimental results for industrial pyrolysis processes,constructing more accurate free-radical reaction kinet-ic models,and combining advanced theoretical calculation methods such as molecular dynamics simulations to stud-y the bond breaking and formation and molecular interactions during coal pyrolysis.