CO2 gasification of the reed (Phragmites australis) kraft black liquor (KBL) and its water-soluble lignin (WSL) was analyzed by thermogravimetry coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (TG-FTIR). In KBL gasification, major mass loss of KBL occurred between 150 and 1000 degrees C, followed by a further slow mass loss until the heating was stopped and the TG curve leveled off. The TG profiles of the WSL and the KBL were similar during gasification; however, the differential thermogravimetry (DTG) curves and mass decrease from 300 degrees C of the TG curves of the WSL and the KBL were different because of their dissimilar ingredients. The CO formation mechanism was the same and independent of structural types of lignins between reed and wood in their KBL CO2 gasification. Crown Copyright (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.