A microwave reactor for characterization of pyrolyzed biomass

Enhanced microwave assisted pyrolysis of waste rice straw through lipid extraction with supercritical carbon dioxide

A combination of supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) extraction and microwave-assisted pyrolysis (MAP) have been investigated for the valorisation of waste rice straw. ScCO2 extraction of rice straw led to a 0.7% dry weight yield of lipophilic molecules, at elevated temperatures of 65 °C and pressures of 400 bar. Lipid compositions (fatty acids, fatty alcohol, fatty aldehydes, steroid ketones, phytosterols, n-alkanes and wax esters) of the waxes obtained by scCO2 were comparable to those obtained Soxhlet extraction using the potentially toxic solvent n-hexane. ScCO2 extraction positively influenced the pyrolysis heating rate, with a rate of 420 K min-1 for particles of 500-2000 μm, compared to 240 K min-1 for the same particle size of untreated straw. Particle size significantly affected cellulose decomposition and the distribution of pyrolysis products (gaseous, liquid and char), highlighting the importance of selecting an adequate physical pre-treatment. TG and DTG of the original rice straw and resulting biochar produced indicated that cellulose was completely decomposed during the MAP. While a rapid pressure change occurred at ∼120 °C (size > 2000 μm) and ∼130 °C (size 500-2000 μm) during MAP and was associated with the production of incondensable gas during cellulose decomposition, this takes place at significantly lower temperatures than those observed with conventional pyrolysis, 320 °C. Wax removal by scCO2 influences the dielectric properties of the straw, enhancing microwave absorption with rapid heating rates and elevated final pyrolysis temperatures, illustrating the benefits of combining these sustainable technologies within a holistic rice straw biorefinery.

A review on the thermochemical treatments of biomass: Implications for hydrochar production and rare earth element recovery from hyperaccumulators

Phytomining is a promising method that employs hyperaccumulators to concentrate metals from various substrates. Many studies on phytomining have been reported in the literature, while how to recover metals from hyperaccumulators has not been well resolved, which is critical for developing a complete phytomining-based metal recovery process. The most straightforward approach is to combust hyperaccumulators and recover metals from the combustion residue. However, the combustion process results in significant waste and carbon emissions. In contrast to combustion, thermochemical treatments can convert the biomass of hyperaccumulators to valuable products, such as biochar, hydrochar, biocrudes, and biogas. Therefore, it is more sustainable to develop a process that combines thermochemical treatments for metal recovery from hyperaccumulators. To achieve this objective, a systematic and comprehensive understanding of product characteristics and metal fate during thermochemical processing is required. In this article, three emerging thermochemical technologies, i.e., microwave-assisted pyrolysis, hydrothermal processing, and microwave-assisted hydrothermal treatment, are systematically reviewed in terms of conversion mechanisms, merits, demerits, product characteristics, and metal fate. Significant findings reported in the literature on the effects of operating parameters on product characteristics and metal fate during thermochemical treatment of waste biomass, especially those from hyperaccumulators, were summarized. Due to limited studies on thermochemical treatments of rare earth element hyperaccumulators, this review is expanded to include hyperaccumulators of any metal species. Based on comparisons among the three emerging thermochemical treatment technologies, microwave-assisted hydrothermal pyrolysis is identified as the most promising approach that favors carbon product obtainment and REE recovery from hyperaccumulators.

A Systematic Review on Biomass Treatment Using Microwave-Assisted Pyrolysis under PRISMA Guidelines

Biomass as a renewable energy resource is a major topic on a global scale. Several types of biomass heat treatment methods have been introduced to obtain useful byproducts via pyrolysis. Microwaves are a practical replacement for conventional stoves and ovens to perform pyrolysis of biomass. Their rapid heating rate and user-friendliness make them a good choice for the pyrolysis process over conventional methods. The current study reviewed research articles that used microwaves for the pyrolysis process on different types of biomass. This study primarily provides comprehensive details about the pyrolysis process, especially microwave-assisted pyrolysis (MAP) and its feasibility for treating biomass. A systematic literature review, according to the PRISMA guidelines, was performed to find research articles on biomass treatment using MAP technology. We analyzed various research studies (n = 32), retrieved from different databases, that used MAP for pyrolysis on various types of biomass, and we achieved good results. The main goal of this study was to examine the usefulness of the MAP technique, comparing its effects on distinguished types of biomass. We found MAP's effective parameters, namely, temperature, concentration of microwave absorber, moisture percentage of starting material and flow rate, microwave power and residence time of the initial sweep gas that control the pyrolysis process, and effect quality of byproducts. The catalytic agent in MAP pyrolysis was found to be useful for treating biomass, and that it has great potential to increase (nearly double) the production yield. Although MAP could not be used for all types of materials due to some challenges, it produced good results compared to conventional heating (pyrolysis) methods. We concluded that MAP is an effective method for reducing pyrolysis reaction time and improving the quality of value-added products. Also, MAP eliminates the shredding requirement for biomass and improves heating quality. Therefore, it is a viable method for reducing pyrolysis processing costs and should be applied on a larger scale than lab scale for commercialization.

Microwave-Assisted Pyrolysis of Oil Palm Biomass: Multi-Optimisation of Solid Char Yield and Its Calorific Value Using Response Surface Methodology

Recovery of oil palm resources is essential towards conserving environment. This study investigated the behaviour of oil palm kernel shells (PKS), palm mesocarp fibre (PMF) and empty fruit bunch (EFB) through microwave assisted pyrolysis. Power level (300–1,000 W), exposure time (10–30 min) and mass loading (20–50 g) were varied to determine its influence on char yield and calorific value at one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) analysis. Model equations obtained from Box-Behnken design was used for Response Surface Methodology (RSM) in determining the optimum operating condition. It was found that the power level has least important influence on the solid char yield of EFB and PMF. No significant impact on the solid char yield of PMF beyond 10 min of exposure. Maximum mass inside the pyrolyser for EFB, PMF, and PKS are 40, 50, and 25 g, respectively. Calorific values of solid char produced were comparable to a low rank coal (>22 MJ/kg). From the RSM analysis, the optimum conditions for obtaining high char yield and calorific values have been determined with power level of 300 W, exposure time in the range of 16.7–32 min, and biomass mass in the range of 20–40.4 g. The outcome from this analysis is vital as it provides an alternative solution to utilise oil palm industrial wastes to be converted to solid fuel as source of renewable fuel and reduce its pollution to the environment.

Co-pyrolysis of biomass and polyvinyl chloride under microwave irradiation: Distribution of chlorine

Co-pyrolysis of sophora wood (SW) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was conducted in a microwave reactor at different temperatures and different mixing ratios, and the transformation and distribution of chlorine in pyrolysis products were investigated. Microwave pyrolysis is a simple and efficient technique with better heating uniformity and process controllability than conventional heating. Compared with PVC pyrolysis, the addition of SW significantly reduced CO₂ yield and greatly increased the yield of CO. The yield and quality of pyrolysis oil were effectively improved by SW, and the content of chlorine-containing compounds in the oil was suppressed to <1% at low temperatures (<550 °C). Co-pyrolysis of SW and PVC reduced the chlorine emissions from 59.07% to 28.09% and promoted the retention of chlorine in char (from 0.33% to 4.72%). Cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin were co-pyrolyzed with PVC to investigate their effects on chlorine distribution. The experiments demonstrated that lignin had the most significant effects on reducing gas phase chlorine emission and achieving chlorine immobilization, and chlorine mainly existed in the form of sodium chloride in the char of lignin-PVC co-pyrolysis. Hence co-pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass and PVC provides a practical pathway for utilization of PVC waste in an environmentally friendly manner, realizing efficient chlorine retention and significantly reducing chlorine-related emissions.

Advances in Microwave Synthesis of Nanoporous Materials

Usually, porous materials are synthesized by using conventional electric heating, which can be energy- and time-consuming. Microwave heating is commonly used in many households to quickly heat food. Microwave ovens can also be used as powerful devices in the synthesis of various porous materials. The microwave-assisted synthesis offers a simple, fast, efficient, and economic way to obtain many of the advanced nanomaterials. This review summarizes the recent achievements in the microwave-assisted synthesis of diverse groups of nanoporous materials including silicas, carbons, metal-organic frameworks, and metal oxides. Microwave-assisted methods afford highly porous materials with high specific surface areas (SSAs), e.g., activated carbons with SSA ≈3100 m² g^-1 , metal-organic frameworks with SSA ≈4200 m² g^-1 , covalent organic frameworks with SSA ≈2900 m² g^-1 , and metal oxides with relatively small SSA ≈300 m² g^-1 . These methods are also successfully implemented for the preparation of ordered mesoporous silicas and carbons as well as spherically shaped nanomaterials. Most of the nanoporous materials obtained under microwave irradiation show potential applications in gas adsorption, water treatment, catalysis, energy storage, and drug delivery, among others.

Microwave Pyrolysis of Macadamia Shells for Efficiently Recycling Lithium from Spent Lithium-ion Batteries

To reduce harm to the environment and human health and improve economic benefits, the large number of spent lithium-ion batteries that have been produced in recent years need to be reasonably recycled. The purpose of this article is to study a new method, microwave pyrolysis of the shells of macadamia nuts, for efficient recycling of lithium from spent lithium-ion batteries. XRD, SEM, and TGA analyses were used to observe the phase change during roasting. With the help of microwave heating and biomass pyrolysis, the decomposition temperature of Li(Ni_1/3Co_1/3Mn_1/3)O₂ was reduced to 300 °C. Carbonated water-soluble Li₂CO₃ was formed under the action of biochar. Accordingly, the effects of pyrolysis temperature (Pte), biomass dose (bio%), reduction roasting temperature (Rte) and reduction roasting time (Rti) on the leaching rate of lithium were studied, and the results indicated that 93.4% lithium could be leached under the following optimum conditions: bio% = 24, Pte = 500 °C, Rte = 750 °C, and Rti = 25 min. A lattice collapse model and coupling reaction theory explained the benefit of biomass pyrolysis on the decomposition of Li(Ni_1/3Co_1/3Mn_1/3)O₂. Finally, we designed a complete process for recycling the cathode powder of spent lithium-ion batteries. This study can guide industrial production to recover lithium-ion batteries in the future.

Biocomposites from Organic Solid Wastes Derived Biochars: A Review

The replacement of natural fiber with biochars to prepare biocomposites has attracted widespread attention recently. Biochar has unique properties, including the porous structure, large specific surface area, high thermal stability, good conductivity, renewable and abundant feedstock source, and environmental friendliness, which provide excellent properties, environmental benefits, and low production costs for biochar-based composites. Biocomposites from organic solid waste-derived biochars show good prospects worldwide in terms of positive social, environmental, and economic impacts. This paper reviews current biochars, elucidates the effects of biochars on the characteristics and performance of biochar composites, and points out the challenges and future development prospects of biochar composites.

Different Pyrolysis Process Conditions of South Asian Waste Coconut Shell and Characterization of Gas, Bio-Char, and Bio-Oil

In the present study, a series of laboratory experiments were conducted to examine the impact of pyrolysis temperature on the outcome yields of waste coconut shells in a fixed bed reactor under varying conditions of pyrolysis temperature, from 400 to 800 °C. The temperature was increased at a stable heating rate of about 10 °C/min, while keeping the sweeping gas (Ar) flow rate constant at about 100 mL/min. The bio-oil was described by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) investigations and demonstrated to be an exceptionally oxygenated complex mixture. The resulting bio-chars were characterized by elemental analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The output of bio-char was diminished pointedly, from 33.6% to 28.6%, when the pyrolysis temperature ranged from 400 to 600 °C, respectively. In addition, the bio-chars were carbonized with the expansion of the pyrolysis temperature. Moreover, the remaining bio-char carbons were improved under a stable structure. Experimental results showed that the highest bio-oil yield was acquired at 600 °C, at about 48.7%. The production of gas increased from 15.4 to 18.3 wt.% as the temperature increased from 400 to 800 °C. Additionally, it was observed that temperature played a vital role on the product yield, as well as having a vital effect on the characteristics of waste coconut shell slow-pyrolysis.

Effect of feedstock and microwave pyrolysis temperature on physio-chemical and nano-scale mechanical properties of biochar

Biochars were produced from softwood chips (spruce–fir mix) and hemp stalk biomasses in an in-house-developed microwave pyrolysis reactor. A kilogram batch raw biomass mixed with 10 wt% microwave absorber was pyrolyzed at 60-min residence time. Microwave power levels were set at 2100, 2400, and 2700 W with optimum heating rates ranging 25–50 °C/min. The proximate analysis indicated a progressive gain in biochar carbon content with power level increase. Both biochars showed a H:C ratio of < 1.2 with a graphite-like structure, which is an important observation for their potential use as a filler in bio-composites structural strength increase. Fourier Transfer Infrared (FT-IR) spectra showed a major loss of functional groups as the power level increased. Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area and porosity distribution contained higher volume of smaller pores in the hemp biochar. The char hardness and Young’s modulus, obtained via nanoindentation technique and load–depth curve analysis, indicated that hemp biochar possessed a higher Young’s modulus and lower hardness than softwood chip biochar.

The study on pyrolysis of oil-based drilling cuttings by microwave and electric heating

In this paper, the following questions were investigated: the proportion of mass loss, the mass fraction of oil, the structure, composition and ultimate analysis of solid residues and gas products. By comparing the treatment effect of using both microwave and electric as the source of heat to dispose the oil-based drilling cuttings (OBDC), the advantages of microwave heating treatment were demonstrated. Meanwhile, the composition of liquid products by microwave pyrolysis was analyzed. The results show that the microwave heating is better than electric heating and the former can promote the pyrolysis of petroleum hydrocarbons. The results of component analysis of the liquid products from OBDC by microwave pyrolysis show that C12∼C20 components pyrolyze at 500 °C. At the same time, a mass of C21∼C24 components volatilize. At the temperature above 500 °C, the thermal cracking reactions of >C25 components occur and a maximum content of paraffin in liquid products is obtained. As the temperature increases, the components obtained by pyrolysis become more and more complex.

Feedstock and process influence on biodiesel produced from waste sewage sludge

Disposal of sewage sludge is one of the most important issues in wastewater treatment throughout Europe, as EU sludge production, estimated at 9.5 million tons dry weight in 2005, is expected to approach 13 million tons in 2020. While sludge disposal costs may constitute 30-50% of the total operation costs of wastewater treatment processes, waste sewage sludge still contains resources that may be put to use, like nutrients and energy, that can be recovered through a variety of approaches. Research has shown that waste sewage sludge can be a valuable and very productive feedstock for biodiesel generation, containing lipids (the fats from which biofuels are extracted) in amounts that would require large areas cultivated with typical biodiesel feedstock, to produce, and at a much lower final cost. Several methods have been tested for the production of biodiesel from sewage sludge. To date, among the most efficient such process is pyrolysis, and in particular Microwave-Assisted Pyrolysis (MAP), under which process conditions are more favorable in energetic and economic terms. Sludge characteristics are very variable, depending on the characteristics of the wastewater-generating service area and on the wastewater treatment process itself. Each sludge can be considered a unique case, and as such experimental determination of the optimal biodiesel yields must be conducted on a case-by-case basis. In addition to biodiesel, other pyrolysis products can add to the energetic yield of the process (and not only). This paper discusses how feedstock properties and process characteristics may influence biodiesel (and other products) yield from pyrolytic (and in particular, MAP) processes, and discusses future possible technological developments.

The structure evolution of biochar from biomass pyrolysis and its correlation with gas pollutant adsorption performance

Biochar is carbon-rich, porous and with a great potential in gas pollutant controlling. The physical-chemical structure of biochar is important for the application. This paper firstly reviewed the evolution behavior of physical-chemical structure for biochar during pyrolysis. At lower temperature (<500°C), biomass firstly transformed to "3D network of benzene rings" with abundant functional groups. With temperature increasing (500-700°C), it converted to "2D structure of fused rings" with abundant porosity. As temperature increasing further (>700°C), it may transit into a "graphite microcrystalline structure", the porosity and functional groups were diminished correspondingly. The modification of biochar and its application as sorbent for gas pollutant were also reviewed. Activation and doping can significantly increase the porosity and special functional groups in biochar, which is favorable for gas pollutant adsorption. With a higher porosity, the adsorption capacity of gas pollutant is bigger, however, the functional groups determined the sorption stability of gas pollutant.

Effect of iron(III) ion on moso bamboo pyrolysis under microwave irradiation

The effect of iron(III) ion on microwave pyrolysis of moso bamboo was investigated. Hydrofluoric acid washing was used as a pilot process to demineralize moso bamboo in order to eliminate the influences of the other inorganics contained in moso bamboo itself. The results indicated that the addition of iron(III) ion increased the maximal reaction temperatures under microwave condition dependent on the amount of the added iron(III) ion. The production of the non-condensable gases was promoted by the addition of iron(III) ion mainly at the expense of liquid products. Iron(III) ion exhibited the positive effect for syngas production and inhibited the formation of CO₂ and CH₄. The formation of Fe₂O₃ and Fe₃O₄ was found during microwave pyrolysis and the mechanism of the two metallic oxides formation was described in this work.

Pyrolysis of tyre powder using microwave thermogravimetric analysis: Effect of microwave power

The pyrolytic characteristics of tyre powder treated under different microwave powers (300, 500, and 700 W) were studied via microwave thermogravimetric analysis. The product yields at different power levels were studied, along with comparative analysis of microwave pyrolysis and conventional pyrolysis. The feedstock underwent preheating, intense pyrolysis, and final pyrolysis in sequence. The main and secondary weight loss peaks observed during the intense pyrolysis stage were attributed to the decomposition of natural rubbers and synthetic rubbers, respectively. The total mass loss rates, bulk temperatures, and maximum temperatures were distinctively higher at higher powers. However, the maximum mass loss rate (0.005 s^-1), the highest yields of liquid product (53%), and the minimum yields of residual solid samples (43.83%) were obtained at 500 W. Compared with conventional pyrolysis, microwave pyrolysis exhibited significantly different behaviour with faster reaction rates, which can decrease the decomposition temperatures of both natural and synthetic rubber by approximately 110 °C-140 °C.

A Microwave-Based Chemical Factory in the Lab: From Milligram to Multigram Preparations

Microwave technology is changing the way we design and optimize synthetic protocols and their scaling up to multigram production levels. The latest generation of dedicated microwave reactors enables operators to quickly screen reaction conditions by means of parallel tests and select the best catalyst, solvent, and conditions. Pilot scale synthetic procedures require flow-through conditions in microwave flow reactors which can be obtained by adapting classic batch protocols. Microwave-assisted chemical processes play a pivotal role in the design of sustainable multigram preparations which address the double requirement of process intensification and competitive production costs. Although most researchers are likely to be acquainted with the great potential of dielectric heating, the advantages and disadvantages of a particular device or the conditions needed to maximize efficiency and functionality are often overlooked. The double aims of the present review are to provide a panoramic snapshot of commercially available lab microwave reactors and their features as well as highlighting a few selected applications of microwave chemistry of particular relevance.

Kinetics study on conventional and microwave pyrolysis of moso bamboo

A comparative study on the pyrolysis kinetics of moso bamboo has been conducted in a conventional thermogravimetric analyzer and a microwave thermogravimetric analyzer respectively. The effect of heating rate on the pyrolysis process was also discussed. The results showed that both the maximum and average reaction rates increased with the heating rate increasing. The values of activation energy increased from 58.30 to 84.22 kJ/mol with the heating rate decreasing from 135 to 60 °C/min during conventional pyrolysis. The value of activation energy was 24.5 kJ/mol for microwave pyrolysis, much lower than that for conventional pyrolysis at a similar heating rate of 160 °C/min. The pyrolysis of moso bamboo exhibited a kinetic compensation effect. The low activation energy obtained under microwave irradiation suggests that microwaves heating would be a promising method for biomass pyrolysis.

Hydrogen production from banyan leaves using an atmospheric-pressure microwave plasma reactor

Growth of the hydrogen market has motivated increased study of hydrogen production. Understanding how biomass is converted to hydrogen gas can help in evaluating opportunities for reducing the environmental impact of petroleum-based fuels. The microwave power used in the reaction is found to be proportional to the rate of production of hydrogen gas, mass of hydrogen gas produced per gram of banyan leaves consumed, and amount of hydrogen gas formed with respect to the H-atom content of banyan leaves decomposed. Increase the microwave power levels results in an increase of H2 and decrease of CO2 concentrations in the gaseous products. This finding may possibly be ascribed to the water-gas shift reaction. These results will help to expand our knowledge concerning banyan leaves and hydrogen yield on the basis of microwave-assisted pyrolysis, which will improve the design of hydrogen production technologies.

Microwave pyrolysis of wheat straw: product distribution and generation mechanism

Microwave pyrolysis of wheat straw is studied, combined with analysis of products, the distribution and generation pathway of products are investigated. Only a small amount of volatiles released when microwave pyrolysis of pure straw. Mixtures of adding CuO and Fe3O4 can pyrolyze, and the majority in pyrolysis products is in liquid-phase. Severe pyrolysis occur after adding carbon residue, the CO content in pyrolysis gas products is high, and the maximum volume content of H2 can exceed 35 vol.%. The high-temperature is helpful for increasing the yield of combustible gas in gaseous products, in particular the H2 production, but also helpful for improving the conversion of sample. Pyrolysis is carried out layer by layer from the inside to outside. As the internal material firstly pyrolyze and pyrolysis products released pass through the low temperature zone, the chance of occurrence of secondary reactions is reduced.

Microwave-enhanced CO2 gasification of oil palm shell char

CO2 gasification of oil palm shell (OPS) char to produce CO through the Boudouard reaction (C + CO2 ↔ 2CO) was investigated under microwave irradiation. A microwave heating system was developed to carry out the CO2 gasification in a packed bed of OPS char. The influence of char particle size, temperature and gas flow rate on CO2 conversion and CO evolution was considered. It was attempted to improve the reactivity of OPS char in gasification reaction through incorporation of Fe catalyst into the char skeleton. Very promising results were achieved in our experiments, where a CO2 conversion of 99% could be maintained during 60 min microwave-induced gasification of iron-catalyzed char. When similar gasification experiments were performed in conventional electric furnace, the superior performance of microwave over thermal driven reaction was elucidated. The activation energies of 36.0, 74.2 and 247.2 kJ/mol were obtained for catalytic and non-catalytic microwave and thermal heating, respectively.

A new technique to pyrolyse biomass in a microwave system: effect of stirrer speed

A new technique to pyrolyse biomass in microwave (MW) system is presented in this paper to solve the problem of bio-oil deposition. Pyrolysis of oil palm shell (OPS) biomass was conducted in 800 W and 2.45 GHz frequency MW system using an activated carbon as a MW absorber. The temperature profile, product yield and the properties of the products were found to depend on the stirrer speed and MW absorber percentage. The highest bio-oil yield of 28 wt.% was obtained at 25% MW absorber and 50 rpm stirrer speed. Bio-char showed highest calorific value of the 29.5 MJ/kg at 50% MW absorber and 100 rpm stirrer speed. Bio-oil from this study was rich in phenol with highest detected as 85 area% from the GC-MS results. Thus, OPS bio-oil can become potential alternative to petroleum-based chemicals in various phenolic based applications.

Pyrolysis of oil palm empty fruit bunch biomass pellets using multimode microwave irradiation

Oil palm empty fruit bunch pellets were subjected to pyrolysis in a multimode microwave (MW) system (1 kW and 2.45 GHz frequency) with and without the MW absorber, activated carbon. The ratio of biomass to MW absorber not only affected the temperature profiles of the EFB but also pyrolysis products such as bio-oil, char, and gas. The highest bio-oil yield of about 21 wt.% was obtained with 25% MW absorber. The bio-oil consisted of phenolic compounds of about 60-70 area% as detected by GC-MS and confirmed by FT-IR analysis. Ball lightning (plasma arc) occurred due to residual palm oil in the EFB biomass without using an MW absorber. The bio-char can be utilized as potential alternative fuel because of its heating value (25 MJ/kg).

Microwave-assisted pyrolysis of biomass for liquid biofuels production

Production of 2nd-generation biofuels from biomass residues and waste feedstock is gaining great concerns worldwide. Pyrolysis, a thermochemical conversion process involving rapid heating of feedstock under oxygen-absent condition to moderate temperature and rapid quenching of intermediate products, is an attractive way for bio-oil production. Various efforts have been made to improve pyrolysis process towards higher yield and quality of liquid biofuels and better energy efficiency. Microwave-assisted pyrolysis is one of the promising attempts, mainly due to efficient heating of feedstock by "microwave dielectric heating" effects. This paper presents a state-of-the-art review of microwave-assisted pyrolysis of biomass. First, conventional fast pyrolysis and microwave dielectric heating is briefly introduced. Then microwave-assisted pyrolysis process is thoroughly discussed stepwise from biomass pretreatment to bio-oil collection. The existing efforts are summarized in a table, providing a handy overview of the activities (e.g., feedstock and pretreatment, reactor/pyrolysis conditions) and findings (e.g., pyrolysis products) of various investigations.