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Graphical abstract Highlights • A novel microwave-assisted system for glycerol dehydration to acrolein was developed. • A coated microwave absorbing catalyst WO 3 /ZrO 2 @SiC was prepared and used. • The acrolein selectivity could reach over 70% with complete glycerol conversion. • Much better catalyst stability was obtained by microwave heating than electric heating. • The microwave-heating system was effective for the in-situ catalyst regeneration. Abstract Uniform temperature distribution within solid catalyst particles is important to achieving low coke formation in a high-temperature reaction. However, the issue of uneven temperature distribution exists in most fixed-bed catalytic reaction systems. Here, we developed a microwave-assisted system and used it in catalytic dehydration of glycerol for sustainable production of acrolein. A coated microwave absorbing catalyst WO 3 /ZrO 2 @SiC was prepared and employed in the catalytic reactions. The effects of reaction temperature, ZrO 2 /SiC ratio, and weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) on glycerol conversion and arcolein selectivity were examined. Experimental results showed that the microwave heating proved to be more effective than the conventional electric heating for glycerol dehydration to acrolein at lower temperature. The acrolein selectivity reached over 70% with complete glycerol conversion at 250 ºC by microwave heating. The catalyst acidity was greatly influenced by ZrO 2 /SiC ratio, which in turn determined the acrolein selectivity. More importantly, much better catalyst stability was obtained in the microwave-heating process than the electric-heating process. In addition, the microwave-heating system was effective for the in-situ regeneration of deactivated catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]