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Total utilization of waste resources to harnessing energy based on the green engineering approach (biorefinery) is the main feature of this work. Kapok seed and its seed cake have been successfully transformed into renewable high-value products by the application of integrated biorefinery combining in situ subcritical methanol transesterification and pyrolysis processes. The in situ subcritical methanol transesterification of kapok seed into biodiesel was conducted at various temperatures (120−180°C) and pressures (2−3.5 MPa) for 2−8 h with a methanol/seed mass ratio of 24:1. The resulting seed cake was thermochemically converted to bio-oil and char via a slow pyrolysis process. The experiments were performed at five temperatures ranging from 300 to 700°C within 2−4 h with two heating rates of 10 and 20°C/min. The products namely biodiesel, bio-oil, and char all show suitable physicochemical properties as well as gross calorific value to be used as an alternative energy source displacing conventional petroleum fuel for industrial and transportation purposes.

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