Biodiesels and biolubricants are synthetic esters produced mainly via a transesterification of other esters from bio-based resources, such as plant-based oils or animal fats. Microwave heating has been used to enhance transesterification reaction by converting an electrical energy into a radiation, becoming part of the internal energy acquired by reactant molecules. This method leads to major energy savings and reduces the reaction time by at least 60% compared to a conventional heating via conduction and convection. However, the application of microwave heating technology alone still suffers from non-homogeneous electromagnetic field distribution, thermally unstable rising temperatures, and insufficient depth of microwave penetration, which reduces the mass transfer efficiency. The strategy of integrating multiple technologies for biodiesel and biolubricant production has gained a great deal of interest in applied chemistry. This review presents an advanced transesterification process that combines microwave heating with other technologies, namely an acoustic cavitation, a vacuum, ionic solvent, and a supercritical/subcritical approach to solve the limitations of the stand-alone microwave-assisted transesterification. The combined technologies allow for the improvement in the overall product yield and energy efficiency. This review provides insights into the broader prospects of microwave heating in the production of bio-based products.

Drilling fluid with better rheological and filtration properties control are required to optimise the performance of oil well drilling. In this study, a non-ionic and anionic surfactant was used as an additive in water-based drilling fluid to optimize their rheological and filtration properties. The rheology of water-based drilling fluid was taken after being hot rolled for 16hours at 250oF and 275oF, while the filtration tests were conducted at temperatures up to 300oF. It was found that non-ionic and anionic surfactant in water-based drilling fluid improved rheological and filtration properties. Moreover, surfactant additives are 41.3% more effective in reducing the filtration loss compared to the mud without surfactants. The long chain of non-ionic and ionic surfactant might result in a more viscous fluid, blocking the pores and forming a tight filter cake. The surfactants also caused water-based drilling fluids become more resistant at the higher temperature as shown by improved and stabilised the rheology and filtration properties after the hot aging process