Thermal Degradation of Pinus Pinaster Needles by DSC,Part 2: Kinetics of Exothermic Phenomena

Abstract

Fire behavior prediction models required for controlling wildland fires can be calculated from a mathematical approach, taking the thermal and chemical properties of forest fuels into account. There is a need for a better understanding of the thermal decomposition of forest fuels. Two steps have been observed during the thermal degradation of Pinus pinaster needles under air sweeping. The two corresponding exothermic peaks showed by DSC curves are superimposed. An original and simple method is proposed to separate each peak from the global exotherm then the kinetic analysis is performed using single peak method (1 scanning rate) and isoconversion method (at least 3 different scanning rates).