Abstract
This study examines the thermal characteristics and kinetics of oil shale combustion using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) at various heating rates. The combustion process includes three stages: dehydration, main combustion (70-80% mass loss), and mineral decomposition. Kinetic analysis using model-free (Ozawa-Flynn-Wall, Kissinger) and model-based (multi-step reaction kinetics) methods revealed that the second-order reaction model (F2) had the highest accuracy. Oil shale combustion involves multi-step reactions, with activation energy and pre-exponential factors varying nonlinearly with conversion rates. Combining model-free and model-based methods provides insights for optimizing combustion processes and equipment design for the efficient utilization of unconventional energy resources.