Considerable increase in global coff ee consumption has resulted in a marked increase in the amount of spent coff ee grounds

(SCG). To examine the applicability of SCG as a renewable energy source this study evaluated the pyrolysis characteristics

of SCG. Elemental and proximate analyses were conducted on SCG, and kinetic analysis was performed using thermogravimetric

analysis to identify the activation energy for the pyrolysis reaction. The experiment was performed in a nitrogen

atmosphere using a fi xed-bed reactor to analyze the gas and liquid products as well as the solid residues produced from the

pyrolysis reaction by varying the reaction temperature and heating rate. The activation energy for the pyrolysis reaction of

coff ee hemicellulose and cellulose was higher than that for the pyrolysis reaction of lignin. With regard to gaseous products,

CO and CO 2 began to occur at a lower temperature than hydrocarbons, and hydrocarbons began to occur at approximately

330 °C. The yield of the liquid products was highest at 500 °C, and it increased with the heating rate. Moreover, most of the

liquid products were components containing oxygen, and the compound composition of the liquid products depended on

the reaction temperature and heating rate. The yield of the solid residues decreased according to the reaction temperature

and heating rate, and it was confi rmed through infrared and X-ray diff raction spectrum analysis that gradual carbonization

occurred according to reaction conditions.