Abstract: Thermogravimetric experiments of municipal dewater sewage sludge were carried out with non-isothermal temperature programs by TGA/DSC. The effects of heating rate on the drying of sludge were analyzed. The most probable mechanism function G(α)MP was obtained. The results indicated that three drying stages of the slowly speed-up, the fast speed-up and speed-down drying were distinguished in sludge drying. The time of the speed-up drying stage decreased with the raise of the heating rate, but no changes were found at speed-down drying stage. The active energy E and the pre-exponential A were calculated at different heating rates, they varied within the range between 19.45~28.46 kJ/mol of E and 1.5×105~5.0×106 s-1 of A. The maximum of E and A were obtained when the heating rate was 15 K/min. The most probable mechanism function G(α)MP =1-(1-α)4 of drying progress was determined. According the results, the kinetic compensation effect between A and E existed.