Abstract: Based on the theory of thermal analysis kinetics, the thermal decomposition behavior of room temperature cured starch-based wood adhesive was studied by thermogravimetric (TG) analyzer at different heating rates. This might supply some information that could use for solving agent problem occuring in application of room temperature cured starch adhesive.On the basis of X-ray diffraction analysis, the effect of esterification and prepolymer addition on the thermal decomposition behavior of starch and starch adhesive were characterized separately. The model-free Kissinger equation and F-W-O equation was carried out to investigate the thermal decomposition kinetics of native starch (NS), esterified starch (ES), native starch adhesive (NSA), esterified starch adhesive (ESA) and polyisocyanate prepolymer/esterified starch adhesive (PESA), respectively.The results showed that the crystallinity degree of starch did not change after esterification, but the crystallinity decreased. This resulted in the poorer thermal stability and lower thermal decomposition activation energy of starch.When polyisocyanate prepolymer was added, the decomposition activation energy increased. This illustrated that the enhancement of prepolymer added was greater than the weaken effect of esterification.Compared with F-W-O equation, the model-free Kissinger equation was easier to achieve the thermal decomposition activation energy value.The thermal decomposition activation energy values of NS, ES, NSA, ESA and PESA were 175.75, 174.79, 174.35, 172.00 and 174.82 kJ/mol, respectively.