The effect of microwave power on lignocellulose content, physical and chemical characteristics of biomass: A review

Abstract

Bioethanol is alternative energy derived from biomass that can be obtained from the agricultural industry to replace fossil fuels. The issue with biomass to energy conversion is the presence of lignin in lignocellulose biomass which inhibits the hydrolysis process. Microwave-acid pre-treatment is a method that combines microwaves and H2SO4 to break down lignin. In other studies, various microwave power is studied. The aim of this review is to provide insight and novelty into the effect of microwave power that is used on the lignocellulose content of rape straw and the physical and chemical characteristics of biomass after pre-treatment. Various microwave powers on delignification processes were presented, while the physical and chemical characteristics of pretreated biomass and also the prospect of future applications of microwave-assisted pretreatment were also discussed.