Kinetic Parameters and Thermal Properties of a Cork-Based Material

Abstract

In order to model the thermal response of recessing or degrading material, the rate of thermal decomposition and various physical properties must be known. A cork-based ablative material is investigated for the rate of thermal decomposition from room temperature to 1823 K. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) measurements are obtained at different heating rates and several isoconversional methods are used to determine the activation energy, and a parallel distributed activation energy model was used to describe the overall rate of decomposition. The parameters of the model were calculated using a pattern search optimization method, and predicted behaviors of the ablator at additional heating rates are discussed. Results from differential thermal analysis (DTA), laser flash analysis (LFA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are also presented here.