A kinetic study of microwave and fluidized-bed drying of a Chinese lignite

•Chinese lignite was dried in nitrogen and steam fluidized-bed and microwave.•Ten empirical drying models were employed to simulate the drying kinetic data.•Midilli–Kucuk model best fitted the drying data in conventional drying.•Page model described best the microwave drying behavior of lignite.•Drying mechanism is different in conventional and microwave drying methods.