With the growing awareness of environmental issues, production of biofuel has a potential to provide an alternative source of renewable energy sources. In the present work, the effect of pyrolysis temperature, particle size and sweep gas flow rate (N-2) was investigated for production of bio-oil from pyrolysis of babool seeds (Acacia nilotica). Optimum conditions obtained for the maximum liquid and bio-oil yield (similar to 49% & 38.3%, respectively) were 500 degrees C, 100 cm(3)/min sweep gas flow rate (N-2) and particle size range upto 0.4 mm. Bio-oil with a calorific value of 36.45 MJ/kg was characterized by FT-IR, H-1 NMR, GC/MS. The characterization of bio-oil indicates that it can be an alternative fuel for transportation sector. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.