Elucidation of the thermo-kinetics of the thermal decomposition of cameroonian kaolin: mechanism, thermodynamic study and identification of its by-products.

ABSTRACT: This work elucidates the thermo-kinetics of the thermal conversion of cameroonian kaolin to metakaolin as the main product. The thermokinetical parameters (activation energy E _a and pre-exponential factor A) for the kaolin conversion were calculated using model-free methods, i.e. the Kissinger-Akahira-Sunrose (KAS) and the Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO) method, and differential methods (Kissinger and Ozawa) additionally including iterative procedures for KAS and FWO methods (KAS-Ir; FWO-Ir). The cameroonian kaolin was heat-treated using three different heating rates, i.e. 5, 20 and 40 K min^-1, leading to metakaolin samples named MK-(5), MK-(20) and MK-(40). The TGA analysis showed a total mass loss of ∼12.5% in two steps related to the dehydration

SUBMITTER: Fotsop CG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12415547 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature