Interest in generating energy from biomass has grown tremendously in recent years. Corn stover is an agricultural by-product, which is abundant in quantity. Gasification and pyrolysis are efficient methods of harnessing energy efficiently from corn stover. The performances of mathematical models to predict the product gas quality rely on characterization of feed materials and the reaction kinetics of their thermal degradation. The objective of this research was to determine selected physical and chemical properties of corn stover related to thermochemical conversion. Thermogravimetric analyses were performed at heating rates of 10, 30, and 50 degrees C min(-1) in nitrogen (inert) and air (oxidizing) atmospheres. The parameters of the reaction kinetics were obtained and compared with other biomass. The weight losses of corn stover in both inert and oxidizing atmospheres were found to occur in three stages. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.