Abstract
The kinetics of the thermal decomposition of aluminum sulfate has been studied both isothermally and dynamically in a Perkin-Elmer thermobalance. The contracting-volume model is found to be the best one for describing the kinetic results under isothermal conditions. The general phase boundary reaction models, including 1-D, 2-D and 3-D, are then used to analyze the data from dynamic measurements. Under various conditions, such as different heating rates and sample weights, the most appropriate kinetic expression changes from the 3-D phase boundary reaction model at slow heating rates and small sample weights to the 1-D model at the other extremes. The distribution of thermal flux, in terms of the external heat transport effect, is thought to be the predominant factor here. Finally, a linear compensation effect is also observed between the calculated apparent activation energies and pre-exponential factors from the dynamic studies. © 1984.