Thermogravimetric analysis and non-isothermal kinetics of hydrocarbon-rich petroleum residues

Hydrocarbon-rich petroleum residues (HRPR), often obtained from the middle-and downstream processing of crude oil, present significant disposal and environmental challenge. This study demonstrates that thermal valorization via pyrolysis is an effective strategy for its sustainable management and conversion into valuable resources. Using non-isothermal thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) at heating rates 5, 10, and 15-K/min, the study revealed that the thermal degradation of HRPR is not a simple reaction but a complex process that occurs in three distinct stages. To quantify the energy requirements for this transformation, the TGA data was fitted into three kinetic models: Kissinger, Ozawa–Flynn–Wall, and Coats-Redfern. This analysis yielded a calculated average activation energy in the range of 106.64 kJ/mol to 199.54 kJ/mol, defining the energy barrier for the conversion. Crucially, the process successfully transformed the hazardous material into valuable outputs, including a significant yield of energy-rich gaseous products and a stable, solid biochar as indicated by the presence of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen at proportion of 37.81, 5.71, and 51.33 wt%, respectively. These findings confirm that pyrolysis offers a highly promising pathway for treating hazardous petroleum waste while simultaneously recovering valuable energy and material resources, thus promoting a circular economy within the petroleum industry.