Feasibility study of extraction of bio-oil from Leucaena leucocephala seeds for sustainable habitat development

The world is facing serious threat due to global warming. Several measures have been proposed and the cost effective solution will be the “Tree Plantation”. However, each tree has its own CO2 absorption rate and growth. Based on the literature review, Leucaena leucocephala plant has the highest CO2 absorption rate and higher rate of growth. Also it is a tropical tree which can be grown in waste land in rural areas. The tree has multiple benefits like its leaves being used as fodder and the stem as fire wood. In India 1,00,000 hectares of land has this plantation and it yields 12,000 MT of biomass per year. It has been found that 30% oil yield can be obtained from the seeds. This oil has a calorific value of 39 MJ/kg which can replace the fossil fuel consumption. However, the present research work identified another route for bio-oil production from the seeds. The present work attempted to utilize the seeds of Leucaena leucocephala for bio-oil production.