Microwave effect on kinetics of paper cups pyrolysis

Abstract Not only are microwaves notorious in food heating, but they exhibit interesting properties in different domains including chemical engineering. Their ability to concentrate heat transfer inside dielectric materials enhances process efficiency and permits high heating rates. Nonetheless, their effect on reactions is still controversial. While some researchers believe in non‐thermal effects due to the efficient conversion of microwave energy to enhance reactions without heat dissipation, others assert that microwave frequencies are not high enough to excite molecular bonds. In this study, paper cups pyrolysis is achieved in electrical and microwave TGA using two heating modes. The effect of microwaves on the kinetics of paper cups pyrolysis is shown to depend on the heating regime: at a moderate heating rate, microwave pyrolysis started at a lower temperature, while the pyrolysis in the electrical and microwave TGA have similar kinetic parameters at high heating conditions. This difference is linked with reaction mechanisms. At moderate heating conditions, cellulose decomposes first to an intermediate compound then to final products. The intermediate has a short reaction time and interacts with the microwave. Hence, hot spots at the molecular scale are generated in a short amount of time below the detectable limits of existing temperature measurements media. At a high heating rate, the decomposition of cellulose is direct and no effect is observed.