Waste palm oil was pyrolyzed by a microwave-heated bed of activated carbon.
The carbon bed provides rapid heating and thermally promotes pyrolytic cracking.
A reducing environment is created that prevents formation of oxidized by-products.
Biofuel is diesel-like, low in O2, free of sulphur, carboxylic acid, triglycerides.
The pyrolysis shows a positive energy ratio of 2.7 and an energy recovery of ≥73%.