Thermogravimetric Analysis and Kinetic Study on Catalytic Pyrolysis of Rice Husk Pellet using Its Ash as a Low-cost In-situ Catalyst

The thermogravimetric behaviors and the kinetic parameters of uncatalyzed and catalyzed pyrolysis processes of a mixture of powdered raw rice husk (RRH) and its ash (RHA) in the form of pellets were determined by thermogravimetric analysis at three different heating rates, i.e., 5, 10, and 20 K/min, from 303 to 873 K. This research aimed to prove that the rice husk ash has a catalytic effect on rice husk pyrolysis. To investigate the catalytic effect of RHA, rice husk pellets (RHP) with the weight ratio of RRH:ARH of 10:2 were used as the sample. Model-free methods, namely Friedman (FR), Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS), and Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO), were used to calculate the apparent energy of activation ( ). The thermogravimetric analysis showed that the decomposition of RHP in a nitrogen atmosphere could be divided into three stages: drying stage (303-443 K), the rapid decomposition stage (443-703 K), and the slow decomposition stage (703-873 K). The weight loss percentages of each stage for both uncatalyzed and catalyzed pyrolysis of RHP were 2.4-5.7%, 35.5-59.4%, and 2.9-12.2%, respectively. Using the FR, FWO, and KAS methods, the values of for the degrees of conversion (a) of 0.1 to 0.65 were in the range of 168-256 kJ/mol for the uncatalyzed pyrolysis and 97-204 kJ/mol for the catalyzed one. We found that the catalyzed pyrolysis led the to have values lower than those got by the uncatalyzed one. This phenomenon might prove that RHA has a catalytic effect on RHP pyrolysis by lowering the energy of activation.

Kinetic Study of the Avocado Sunblotch Viroid Self-Cleavage Reaction Reveals Compensatory Effects between High-Pressure and High-Temperature: Implications for Origins of Life on Earth

A high pressure apparatus allowing one to study enzyme kinetics under pressure was used to study the self-cleavage activity of the avocado sunblotch viroid. The kinetics of this reaction were determined under pressure over a range up to 300 MPa (1–3000 bar). It appears that the initial rate of this reaction decreases when pressure increases, revealing a positive ΔV≠ of activation, which correlates with the domain closure accompanying the reaction and the decrease of the surface of the viroid exposed to the solvent. Although, as expected, temperature increases the rate of the reaction whose energy of activation was determined, it appeared that it does not significantly influence the ΔV≠ of activation and that pressure does not influence the energy of activation. These results provide information about the structural aspects or this self-cleavage reaction, which is involved in the process of maturation of this viroid. The behavior of ASBVd results from the involvement of the hammerhead ribozyme present at its catalytic domain, indeed a structural motif is very widespread in the ancient and current RNA world.

Evaluation of the physical parameters of nano-sized tetrachlorosilane as an inorganic material a mixed solvent using Fuoss-Shedlovsky and Fuoss-Hsia-Fernández-Prini techniques

The electrical conductance of nano-sized tetrachlorosilane is measured in 50% mixed solvent of (absolute ethanol-H2O) at various temperatures. The Λ0 (limiting molar conductance) and the KA (association constant) are evaluated via using Fuoss-Shedlovsky (F-SH) and Fuoss-Hsia-Fernández-Prini (FHFP) theories. The standard thermodynamic parameters for association (ΔS°A, ΔH°A& ΔG°A), energy of activation (Ea), hydrodynamic radii (RH) and Walden product (Λ0 η0) are calculated for tetrachlorosilane. These various physical parameters for tetrachlorosilane are evaluated and discussed.