Thermal degradation of flax: The determination of kinetic parameters with thermogravimetric analysis

The thermal degradation of flax was investigated with thermogravimetric analysis. The flax used for these experiments underwent different stages of retting or, in one case, boiling. The most retted type of flax was also chemically treated to obtain elementary fibers. These samples were all tested in dynamic and isothermal runs after careful sample preparation. The resulting thermograms were analyzed and later used to calculate the kinetic parameters of cellulose degradation. These kinetic parameters included reaction constants and activation energies. A clear difference in the various tested types of flax was observed through a comparison of these values, and an explanation for these differences was suggested. (C) 2002 John Wiley Sons, Inc.