It was shown that a simple kinetic model is usually sufficient for an inherently non-isothermal process such as fuel generation by thermal decomposition of the polymer at the burning surface and detailed mechanistic information are not required because it is the rate of heat generation due to combustion of the chemical species, the completeness of combustion, and the temperature over which fuel generation occurs are of primary interest. One of the main advantages of using such a single point measurement is the convenience of determining both the kinetic parameters such as frequency factor, A and the activation energy, Ea in a single experiment. From such single point measurements on several polymers such as HIPS, PMMA and PA66, except PC, it was shown that instantaneous rate or single point measurements provided a better approximation to the experimental data for a first-order thermal decomposition model than the kinetic parameters determined as average values over multiple heating rates according to Kissinger and Coats-Redfern methods. It was shown that effective activation energy, Ea and frequency factor A for such a first order thermal decomposition process could easily be determined by estimating the maximum mass loss rate, mmax' and the temperature at which the maximum mass loss rate Tp occurs by using such single point TGA measurement at constant heating rate. In such experiments, it was found that the specific mass loss rate was independent of the heating rate and was dependent on the kinetic parameters Ea and A and the mass fraction of the fuel formed, i.e., the residue remaining.