Understanding microwave heating in biomass-solvent systems

Taqi, Ali; Farcot, Etienne; Robinson, John P.; Binner, Eleanor R.

Abstract

A new mechanism is proposed to provide a viable physical explanation for the action of microwaves in solvent extraction processes. The key innovation is Temperature-Induced Diffusion, a recently-demonstrated phenomenon that results from selective heating using microwaves. A mechanism is presented which incorporates microwave heating, cellular expansion, heat transfer and mass transfer, all of which affect the pressure of cell structures within biomass. The cell-pressure is modelled with time across a range of physical and process variables, and compared with the expected outputs from the existing steam-rupture theory. It is shown that steam-rupture is only possible at the extreme fringes of realistic physical parameters, but Temperature-Induced Diffusion is able to explain cell-rupture across a broad and realistic range of physical parameters and heating conditions. Temperature-Induced Diffusion is the main principle that governs microwave-assisted extraction, and this paves the way to being able to select processing conditions and feedstocks based solely on their physical properties.

Citation

Taqi, A., Farcot, E., Robinson, J. P., & Binner, E. R. (2020). Understanding microwave heating in biomass-solvent systems. Chemical Engineering Journal, 393, Article 124741. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2020.124741

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 9, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Mar 10, 2020
• Publication Date: Aug 1, 2020
• Deposit Date: Mar 12, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 12, 2020
• Journal: Chemical Engineering Journal
• Print ISSN: 1385-8947
• Electronic ISSN: 1873-5606
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 393
• Article Number: 124741
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2020.124741
• Keywords: Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering; General Chemistry; General Chemical Engineering; Environmental Chemistry
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4133265
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1385894720307324?via%3Dihub