Thermo-chemical conversion of Kusum seed: A possible route to produce alternate fuel and chemicals

In the present study, Kusum seed (Schleichera oleosa) was selected as feed stock for the production of fuel and bio-chemicals using the thermo-chemical conversion technique. Pyrolysis was performed within the temperature range of 475–575 °C at a heating rate of 25 °C min−1 using a semi-batch reactor. The study confirmed that 550 °C was the optimum temperature to produce a maximum 58.51 wt% of pyrolysis liquid which consists of 50.93% of oil and 7.58% of aqueous phase. The fuel analysis confirmed that Kusum seed pyrolysis oil was less acidic in nature with a viscosity of 27 cSt. The calorific value was quite closer to diesel fuel about 32.5 MJ kg−1. The higher calorific value of oil visualized the probability of Kusum seed pyrolysis oil to use as an alternative fuel in diesel engine. The composition analysis illustrated that Kusum seed pyrolysis oil can be a source of various valuable bio-chemicals such as oleanitrile, 8-heptadecene, hexadecanenitrile, hentriacontane and chloroacetic acid-tetradecyl ester. The Kusum seed char has good calorific value about 21.7 MJ kg−1and rich in carbon content with a high H/C ratio. The char contained zeroarsenic compounds and BET surface area of about 8.12 m2 g−1.