The thermal behavior of the lead-impregnated olive-stone during pyrolysis was investigated via thermogravimetric analysis at different heating rates under an inert atmosphere of nitrogen to study the effect of the metal during the thermal process. Thermogravimetric curves showed a little increase of the degradation temperature of hemicellulose and cellulose because of the presence of the metal when the material impregnated with lead was tested. Therefore, calculated kinetic parameters varied slightly after impregnation with lead. Apparent activation energies were 119.72, 238.65 and 68.76 kJ/mol for hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin fractions in raw olive stone and 119.40, 257.00 and 68.46 kJ/mol for the same fractions in the lead-impregnated olive stone. (C) 2017 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.