The thermal degradation reaction mechanism of xylose as hemicellulose model compound was investigated by using density functional theory methods M062X with the 6-31++G(d,p) basis set. Eight possible pyrolytic reaction pathways were proposed and the standard kinetic and thermodynamic parameters in all reaction pathways were calculated at different temperatures. In reaction pathway (1), xylose is first transformed into acyclic containing-carbonyl isomer, and then the isomer further decomposes through four possible pyrolysis pathways (1-1)-(1-4). Pathways (2) and (3) depict an immediate ring-opening process through the simultaneous breaking of C-O and C-C bonds. Pathways (4)-(7) describe the pyrolysis processes of various anhydro-xyloses through a direct ring-opening process. Pathway (8) gives the evolutionary process of pyranones. The calculation results show that reaction pathways (1), (2) and (5) are the major reaction channels and reaction pathways (3), (4), and (6)-(8) are the competitive reaction channels in pyrolysis of xylose. The major products of xylose pyrolysis are law molecular products such as 2-furaldehyde, glycolaldehyde, acetaldehyde, methylglyoxal and acetone, and the main competitive products are formaldehyde, formic acid, acetic acid, CO2, CH4, acetol, pyranone, and so on. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.