Suitability of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit as a source of pulp and fuelwood in India

The present study was carried out to provide overview on the pulp and fuel properties in the wood of Leucaena leucocephala during 2010–2011. The proximate analysis exhibited screened pulp yield of 49.0% coupled with the kappa number of 20.70, which indicated that the species are suitable for pulping quality and exhibited superiority over the traditional pulpwood species. The fuelwood analysis indicated that the Leucaena leucocephala recorded high calorific value (4433.89 kcal kg⁻¹), specific gravity (0.65), fixed carbon (79.57%) values and low moisture content, ash content (1.15%) and volatile matter (17.24%) values. In a holistic perspective, finding of current study indicates that Leucaena leucocephala could play a significant role in meeting the demand of paper and energy production.