Prospects and Challenges of Microwave-Combined Technology for Biodiesel and Biolubricant Production through a Transesterification: A Review.
Molecules
; 26(4)2021 Feb 03.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33546303
ABSTRACT
Biodiesels and biolubricants are synthetic esters produced mainly via a transesterification of other esters from bio-based resources, such as plant-based oils or animal fats. Microwave heating has been used to enhance transesterification reaction by converting an electrical energy into a radiation, becoming part of the internal energy acquired by reactant molecules. This method leads to major energy savings and reduces the reaction time by at least 60% compared to a conventional heating via conduction and convection. However, the application of microwave heating technology alone still suffers from non-homogeneous electromagnetic field distribution, thermally unstable rising temperatures, and insufficient depth of microwave penetration, which reduces the mass transfer efficiency. The strategy of integrating multiple technologies for biodiesel and biolubricant production has gained a great deal of interest in applied chemistry. This review presents an advanced transesterification process that combines microwave heating with other technologies, namely an acoustic cavitation, a vacuum, ionic solvent, and a supercritical/subcritical approach to solve the limitations of the stand-alone microwave-assisted transesterification. The combined technologies allow for the improvement in the overall product yield and energy efficiency. This review provides insights into the broader prospects of microwave heating in the production of bio-based products.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Plant Oils
/
Lubricants
/
Biofuels
/
Microwaves
Language:
En
Journal:
Molecules
Journal subject:
BIOLOGIA
Year:
2021
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Malaysia