Production of biofuels thanks to microwaves

British scientists have found a way to treat bio-waste through microwaves to produce bioenergy and precious chemicals.

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Professor James Clark of York University has introduced a new method that can be used in industry as well as in daily life. With this technology will reduce the waste of food industry and chemical industry.

Everyone knows that the global food industry generates millions of tons of organic waste. Another waste source with similar chemical nature is agricultural products. For example, the cassava industry in Africa has left 228 million tons of unrecoverable starch, the shell of Ethiopian coffee beans up to 3 million tons.

In Brazil, canned orange juice production, only half of the fruits can be used, and half because many causes become waste. Orange peel alone has reached 8 million tons. Orange Peel Exploitation Company / OPEC (Company utilizing orange peel) was created with the aim of using the technology of York University experts to produce biofuels and valuable chemicals from orange peels. .

Professor Clark said, 'The technology consists of stages: Crushing orange peels, then placing them in the microwave field, like microwave ovens, of course much larger capacity. Microwave radiation breaks down cellulose, releasing a variety of chemical compounds'.

He gave the example, Limolin is a very precious material of the aromatherapy industry, preparing perfumes. In addition, by-products of ultra-short processing can also be used as biofuel or technical alcohol. This method is most effective when processing paper-cellulose waste.

Researchers expect the end of next year to launch at York a first test device with a capacity of 10kg of waste in an hour.

The new technology is capable of applying to similar design lines, with very different specifications and sizes, even portable devices. In the long run, one has thought of an overarching strategy of creating the latest biotechnology with the aim of increasing biomass production and increasing ethanol production.

The development of industry will complete the harvest. The above strategy will reduce the use of sugarcane to produce bioetanol but replace that 'demanded' material with agricultural and forestry waste.

In 2011 in Frankfurt Germany, a huge auto exhibition was held. The most unique feature of this exhibition is that the majority of display cars are capable of operating with alternative energy sources, not traditional gasoline, but electricity, fuel cells, solar energy, and owners. weak is bio-fuel.

It is predicted that in the coming decades, the automotive industry will turn to a new generation of products: compact, safe, and full of electronic components to automate many stages and fuels. are biogas, biodiesel, hydrogen and electricity.