A numerical study for gas–solid reactions in a microwave-based system: Kinetic and environmental aspects

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Faculty of Chemical, Petroleum, and Gas Engineering, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran

Abstract

Due to increasing environmental concerns and requirements, the adoption of modern heating methods is strongly recommended. The microwave-based system has attracted considerable attention due to its efficiency, low carbon footprint, low energy consumption, and short process timing. Our studies on microwave heating for synthesizing cobalt and various alloys showed a significant need for novel predictors to model microwave heating processes. This paper is novel in its evaluation of the performance of outstanding numerical methods for solving microwave-based reactions in both kinetic and environmental aspects. As a case study, the experimental results related to the reaction of cobalt metal oxide with syngas under microwave heating were compared to the orthogonal collocation outcomes, and outstanding results were reported with a mean error lower than 5%. The emissions from a microwave and an electrical furnace, based on kinetic values, were also compared. To evaluate numerical methods for different types of reactions in the mentioned microwave heating process, the governing equations from the modeling of gas-solid catalyzed reactions with different reaction orders were solved using the perturbation and orthogonal collocation methods. The environmental analysis demonstrated that the microwave process offered notable environmental and operational advantages over the furnace process, including significantly faster CO removal, more controllable CO₂ emissions, higher energy efficiency, and a reduced overall carbon footprint by possibly reducing energy consumption.

Graphical Abstract

A numerical study for gas–solid reactions in a microwave-based system: Kinetic and environmental aspects

Keywords

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References

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Advances in Environmental Technology
Volume 12, Issue 3
2026
Pages 360-374

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History

  • Receive Date: 29 October 2025
  • Revise Date: 12 May 2026
  • Accept Date: 13 May 2026

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