Safflower (Charthamus tinctorius L.) seed press cake was pyrolysed in a fixed-bed reactor. The effects of pyrolysis temperature, heating rate and sweep gas flow rates on the yields of the products were investigated. Pyrolysis runs were performed using pyrolysis temperatures between 400 and 600 degrees C with heating rates of 10, 30 and 50 degrees C min(-1). The obtained bio-char, gas and bio-oil yields ranged between 25 and 34 wt%, 19 and 25 wt%, and 28 and 36 wt%, respectively, at different pyrolysis conditions. The highest liquid yield was obtained at 500 degrees C pyrolysis temperature with a heating rate of 50 degrees C min(-1) under the sweep gas of N-2 with a flow rate of 100 cm 3 min(-1). Employing the higher heating rate of 50 degrees C min(-1) results in maximum bio-oil yield, probably due to the decrease in mass transfer limitations. According to the results obtained under the conditions of this study, the effects of pyrolysis temperature and sweep gas flow rate are more significant than the effect of heating rate on the yields. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.