Thermogravimetric analysis of the combustion of marine microalgae Spirulina platensis and its blend with synthetic waste

The thermal decomposition of the microalgae Spirulina platensis, synthetic wastes, and their blends under an oxidative atmosphere and their kinetic parameters were investigated using a thermogravimetric analyzer. Three stages were observed during the combustion of the blended fuels, and two distinct peaks occurred in the second stage. A kinetic analysis during combustion was studied according to the fitting method proposed by Coats-Redfern and Horowitz-Metzger. The addition of the microalgae to the synthetic waste led to an increase in the apparent activation energies in Zone I in the second stage, whereas an increasing proportion of the microalgae in the blends resulted in decreasing apparent activation energies in Zone II in the second stage.