A thermogravimetric analyzer was employed to investigate the thermal behavior and extract the kinetic parameters of Canadian lignite coal. The pyrolysis experiments were conducted in temperatures ranging from 298 K to 1173 K under inert atmosphere utilizing six different heating rates of 1, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 K min −1 , respectively. There are different techniques for analyzing the kinetics of solid-state reactions that can generally be classified into two categories: model-fitting and model-free methods. Historically, model-fitting methods are broadly used in solid-state kinetics and show an excellent fit to the experimental data but produce uncertain kinetic parameters especially for nonisothermal conditions. In this work, different model-free techniques such as the Kissinger method and the isoconversional methods of Ozawa, Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose, and Friedman are employed and compared in order to analyze nonisothermal kinetic data and investigate thermal behavior of a lignite coal. Experimental results showed that the activation energy values obtained by the isoconversional methods were in good agreement, but Friedman method was considered to be the best among the model-free methods to evaluate kinetic parameters for solid-state reactions. These results can provide useful information to predict kinetic model of coal pyrolysis and optimization of the process conditions.

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In the current research work, the flow behavior of a liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) process in a serpentine microchannel was analyzed. The simulation was performed using a 3D model and the results were found to be consistent with experimental data. The impact of the flow of chloroform and water on the flow model was also examined. The data indicate that once the aqua and organic phases flow rates are low and similar, a slug flow pattern is observed. However, as the overall flow rate raises, the slug flow transforms into parallel plug flow or droplet flow. An increment in the aqua flows while maintaining a constant organic phase flow rate results in a transition from slug flow to either droplet flow or plug flow. Finally, the patterns of flow rate in the serpentine micro-channel were characterized and depicted. The results of this study will provide valuable insights into the behavior of two-phase flow patterns in serpentine microfluidic devices. This information can be used to optimize the design of microfluidic devices for various applications. Furthermore, the study will demonstrate the applicability of CFD simulation in investigating the behavior of fluids in microfluidic devices, which can be a cost-effective and efficient alternative to experimental studies.

The sample coal used in this work was lignite containing 25% of moisture and 19% of ash from Canada. Drying of lignite coal had considerable influence on the coal liquefaction conversion. Vacuum dried and nitrogen dried samples provided higher conversion than air dried samples. The air drying showed nearly lower conversion, which probably as a result of oxidation. Air Drying seems to add oxidation to form more oxygen functional groups which increases the cross-linking reactions in the early stages of liquefaction. Among three thermal drying methods, vacuum dry provided highest conversion. It was expressed that coal sample with lower amount of moisture revealed higher conversion. Both temperatures and drying times seem to be key variables which impacted coal liquefaction conversion.