The Effect of Indonesian Coal Characteristics on The Pyrolysis Activation Energy

Abstract

Coal is one of the primary energy sources in Indonesia. As the demand for thermal coal has increased, global environmental concern has also raised. Implementation of clean coal technology such as gasification is therefore a challenge and opportunity for future coal beneficiation. Pyrolysis is an early stage of gasification process which in this study would be investigated. Samples of three coals were taken from different coal basins to evaluate their characteristics. Sample B1, B2 and B3 are from Meulaboh, Kutai and South Sumatra Basins, respectively. The characterization included proximate, ultimate, calorific value and thermogravimetric analyses. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) supports the understanding coal thermal behavior, specifically on the pyrolysis stage. The data can also be used for activation energy (Ea) determination. The results of this study show that sample B1 is classified as sub-bituminous C with an Ea value of 64.27 kJ/mol, sample B2 is categorized as sub-bituminous A with an Ea value of 79.41 kJ/mol, and sample B3 is ranked higher, classified as high volatile C bituminous, with an Ea value of 96.24 kJ/mol. The higher coal rank, the higher Ea is needed for pyrolysis decomposition.