Which is the density of oil?

There is no single value for oil density because different types of oil have different densities.

In general, the relative density of most oils, including both mineral and vegetable oils, ranges from approximately 0.840 to 0.960.

In simple terms, oils are fatty substances that are liquid at room temperature. They can be classified according to their origin, with the two main categories being vegetable oils and mineral oils. Most animal fats are solid at room temperature and are therefore generally referred to as fats or butters rather than oils.

Because most oils are less dense than water, they float on the surface when the two liquids are combined.

It is important to remember that oil density changes with temperature. As temperature increases, oil expands and its density decreases. For this reason, a density value should always be associated with a specific temperature.

Density of Common Vegetable Oils  

The table below shows the approximate relative density of several vegetable oils compared with water. The values are given at 20 °C (68 °F), except for palm oil and coconut oil, for which the reference temperatures are 50 °C (122 °F) and 40 °C (104 °F), respectively.

Relative and Absolute Density in Vegetable Oils

The information above refers to the relative density of oils compared with water at 20 ºC. If you want to determine the absolute density in kg/m³, you only need to know the density of water at 20 ºC, which is approximately 998.30 kg/m³. Simply multiply the relative density of the oil by the density of water to obtain the absolute density of the oil in kg/m³.

For example, what is the absolute density of rapeseed oil in kg/m³ at 20 ºC? We take the average relative density value for rapeseed oil from the table, 0.915, and multiply it by 998.30 kg/m³, resulting in 913.44 kg/m³.

Density of Mineral Oils

Mineral oils are derived from petroleum distillation. There are many different types of mineral oils with a wide range of uses, including refrigerants, dielectric fluids, lubricants, and more.

There are many companies that produce mineral oils, and the number of variations created by using different amounts and types of additives is enormous.