Bio-oil from pyrolysis of cashew nut shell—a near fuel

Cashew nut shell (CNS) has been studied for the product distribution in a packed bed vacuum pyrolysis unit. The effect of pyrolysis temperatures on the product yields is also studied. The oil-to-liquid ratio in the pyrolysis products was found to remain almost constant in the range between 400°C and 550°C. The properties of CNS oil has been found to be amazingly near to that of petroleum fuels with calorific value as high as 40 MJkg−1, the oil has a low ash content (0.01%) and water content is limited to 3–3.5 wt% of oil.