The thermal degradation of cellulose, and of cellulose ammonium phosphorylate and its metal complex products was studied by thermal analysis, infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis and chemical analysis. The kinetic parameters were obtained using the equation of Brodio. The values of activation energies for decomposition of the cellulose, cellulose ammonium phosphorylate and its metal complexes were calculated. Experimental data for cellulose ammonium phosphorylate and its metal complexes show that for these samples there is a decrease in the activation energy for decomposition and an increase in-char yield compared with pure cellulose.