Microwave Thermal Conversion of Oil Palm and Related Biomass for Biofuels and Biochars

Abstract:

Energy crisis and continuously fluctuating cost of petroleum have move attention of researchers toward renewable and sustainable energy sources and materials. Biomass or bioresources is one of the abundant and cheap renewable energy sources and materials that is environment friendly in Malaysia and other tropical countries in the world. It has been identified as one of the main sources of the sustainable energy in the fifth fuel strategy in Malaysia. This paper describes several possible routes to provide energy as well as potential value-added products from bioresources. The future trend in thermo-conversion processing of the biomass is the utilization of microwave energy into renewable bio-fuels, materials and chemicals. The potential of uses of bio-oils and bio-chars from oil palm solid wastes for biofuels, materials and chemicals are given. The applications of these renewable sources to produce biofuels, materials and chemicals have been applied in some countries around the world. The implementation of the biomass technology will be best utilized and feasible when the technology is developed locally, fabricated and commission with the utilization of locally produced biomass. With the research and development efforts developed locally towards local expertise will help to produce indigenous technologies, thus reducing the high cost of import technology.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volume 606)
• Pages: 223-226
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.606.223
• Online since: August 2014
• Authors: Farid Nasir Ani*
• Keywords: Biochar, Microwave Processing, Renewable Biofuels and Biochars, Sustainable Energy, Thermal Conversion

References

[1] Norasyikin Ismail and Farid Nasir Ani, (2013), Solid Waste Generation in Malaysia, Third International Conference and Exhibition on Sustainable Energy and Advanced Material (ICE-SEAM 2013), Melaka, Malaysia.

[2] Ani, F N, Zailani R, Islam M.N., (1999), Pyrolytic oil from fluidised bed pyrolysis of oil palm shell and its characterisation, Renewable Energy 17 (1), 1999, 73-84.

DOI: 10.1016/s0960-1481(98)00112-8

[3] Arshad Adam Salema and Farid Nasir Ani, (2010), Microwave Pyrolysis of Oil Palm Fibres, Jurnal Mekanikal, An International Journal, June, No 30, 77-86.

[4] Salema AA and FN Ani, (2011), Microwave induced pyrolysis of oil palm biomass, Bioresource Technology 102 (3), 3388-339.

DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2010.09.115

[5] Salema A.A. and Ani F.N. (2012a), Microwave-assisted pyrolysis of oil palm shell biomass using an overhead stirrer, Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis, 96, p.162–172.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jaap.2012.03.018

[6] Ani F.N., Salema A.A. and Hassan I., (2012b), Characteristics of Bio-oils from Oil Palm Biomass using Different Pyrolysis Processing Techniques, International Conference on Biomass for Biofuels and Value Added Products, Kuala Lumpur, 23-24 Oct (2012).

DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/amm.554.266

[7] Abubakar Z, AA Salema, FN Ani, (2013), A new technique to pyrolyse biomass in a microwave system: Effect of stirrer speed, Bioresource Technology 128, 578-585.

DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2012.10.084

[8] Farough Motasemi and Farid Nasir Ani, (2011), The Production of Biodiesel from Waste Cooking Oil using Microwave Irradiation, Jurnal Mekanikal, An International Journal, June, 32, 61-72.

[9] Motasemi F. and Ani F.N., (2012), A review on microwave-assisted production of biodiesel, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 16, pp.4719-4733.

DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2012.03.069

[10] Uhm HS, Hong YC, Shin DH. (2006), A microwave plasma torch and its applications. Plasma Sources Science and Technology, 15 : S26-S34.

DOI: 10.1088/0963-0252/15/2/s04

[11] Pang Zhen Ann, Norasyikin Ismail and Farid Nasir Ani, (2014), The effect of flame temperature, nozzle position and swirl gas on microwave plasma flame, Jurnal Teknologi, Special Edition, Vol 68.

DOI: 10.11113/jt.v68.2959

[12] Kannan, T.S., Ahmed, A.S. and Ani, F.N., (2013), Energy Efficient Microwave Irradiation of Sago Bark Waste (SBW) for Bioethanol Production, Advanced Materials Research, 701, 249-253.

DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.701.249

[13] Pandolfo A.G. and Hollenkamp A.F. (2006), Carbon properties and their role in supercapacitors, Journal of Power Sources, Volume 157, Issue 1, 19 June 2006, 11-27.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2006.02.065