The development of industrial (thermal) processes in the context of sustainability: The case for microwave heating

Abstract

The volumetric, uniform, and selective heating of microwaves is a novel technique with the potential to be established in a wide range of applications. The individual interaction of each phase/component of multiphase/multicomponent systems with microwaves creates more than a temperature in the system. Having a high local temperature on an active site that is a strong microwave receptor promotes catalytic and non‐catalytic reactions. The relatively low temperature of the bulk material(s) restricts the undesirable secondary reactions correspondingly. This finding has already led to several applications. In this work, the fundamentals of microwave heating and their prospective applications are debated. Select lab‐scale results of metal and sulphur removal from petroleum oil, pyrolysis of lignin, and dry reforming of methane are demonstrated. The expected impacts of microwaves on other multiphase reactions are proposed.

Issue Highlights

“…This work discusses the fundamental and potential applications of the integration of clean electricity in the microwave heating technique in industry. It demonstrates several prospective applications of microwaves in the thermal and catalytic reactions of multiphase systems associated with results on a laboratory scale …”

“…It demonstrates several prospective applications of microwaves in the thermal and catalytic reactions of multiphase systems associated with results on a laboratory scale. [1] Residence time distribution (RTD) is a diagnostic tool to assess vessel hydrodynamics: the inlet concentration channelling, dead volumes, dispersion, and backmixing. Analyzers monitor concentration at the outlet or any point in the system after the inlet is perturbed with a Dirac-δ, Heaviside-step function, or a rectangular pulse (bolus).…”

“…It demonstrates several prospective applications of microwaves in the thermal and catalytic reactions of multiphase systems associated with results on a laboratory scale. [1] Experimental Methods in Chemical Engineering: Residence Time Distribution-RTD…”

Microwave heating impacts positively on the physical properties of orange juice‐milk beverage

“…Microwave heating (MWH) is based on the capacity of dielectric materials to absorb microwave energy and produce heat (Chaouki et al . 2020). Microwave heating is considered more efficient than CVH, and it shows lower energetic costs, shorter processing times and faster heating rates.…”

Editorial Catalysts: Special Issue on “Microwave-Assisted Catalysis”

“…The use of microwaves applied to catalysis has received considerable attention from both the industry and academics in the last few decades as an alternative to conventional heating [1,2]. The benefits of microwave heating for catalysis mainly lie in the fact that they accelerate the reaction rates, can be used at milder reaction conditions than conventional heating (lower temperature and time) with a subsequent energy saving, and can lead to higher chemical yields.…”