Abstract
This study aims at investigating the pyrolysis kinetic parameters of hot pepper waste with a comparative analysis against tomato pomace; a material previously explored in the literature. The biomasses are air-dried, crushed, sieved to a mesh size of 500–630 µm, and then subjected to proximate and ultimate analyses. Kinetic parameters are determined using the Coats-Redfern model revealing activation energies (Ea) for hot pepper ranging from 11.79 to 27.17 kJ·mol?¹, while tomato pomace ranged from 11.00 to 23.92 kJ·mol?¹. The thermodynamic analysis has indicated that tomato pomace has lower enthalpy (?H: 1.55–14.47 kJ·mol?¹) and Gibbs free energy (?G: 239.42–264.48 kJ·mol?¹) compared to hot pepper (?H: 2.34–17.72 kJ·mol?¹; ?G: 238.96–266.32 kJ·mol?¹) indicating less energy requirements and more favorable reaction conditions for its thermal degradation. However, the hot pepper structural stability results in a higher fixed carbon content making it ideal for biochar production, while tomato pomace exhibits higher reactivity making it more suitable for syngas generation. These results can then support the optimization of pyrolysis reactor design.
