Microwave-assisted pretreatment for lignocellulosic biomass energy conversion path

Abstract

Lignocellulosic biomass materials can be converted into chemicals and bioenergy materials. These materials have a recalcitrance structure and need a pretreatment process to facilitate fermentable sugar release in the subsequent process for energy recovery purposes. Microwave heating can reduce process time and energy consumption, improving product quality and yields. Recently, microwave-assisted pretreatment (MWAP) processes have grabbed wide attention among scholars as one of the biomass conversion processes into chemicals or biofuels. However, there are also some technical challenges associated with its use. MWAP is limited and requires improvement to be applicable for industrial-scale production. Therefore, understanding the fundamentals of microwave technology and MWAP rules are viable routes for large-scale application. This review highlights these fundamentals and microwave systems that can be used for MWAP. Also, it discusses the parameters of the MWAP to provide a future outlook for making MWAP and lignocellulosic biomass the benchmark feedstock for circular bioeconomic.