What Is the Density of Olive Oil?

The density of olive oil is 0.916 kg/liter. This density is measured at a temperature of 17 °C. As the temperature increases, olive oil expands, causing its density to decrease.

The difference in density between olive oil and water has traditionally been used by olive oil producers to separate the oil from the water. In the past, they were separated in settling tanks through decantation. After a period of time, the olive oil rose to the top of the tank, while the denser water settled at the bottom along with the remaining solid particles.

Modern extraction processes also take advantage of the difference in density between olive oil and water. The olive paste and the remaining components are separated according to their density by means of a centrifugation process.

Density table as a function of temperature

 

Density of Olive Oil
Temperature (°C) Density (kg/liter) Temperature (°C) Density (kg/liter)
6 0.9230 18 0.9150
7 0.9224 19 0.9144
8 0.9217 20 0.9137
9 0.9210 21 0.9130
10 0.9204 22 0.9124
11 0.9197 23 0.9117
12 0.9190 24 0.9110
13 0.9184 25 0.9104
14 0.9177 26 0.9097
15 0.9170 27 0.9090
16 0.9164 28 0.9084
17 0.9157 29 0.9077

 

How much does olive oil expand in a frying pan?

It is often said that olive oil "expands" in a frying pan when heated. This is easy to observe as the temperature rises. But how much does it actually expand?

To calculate this, we need to know the coefficient of thermal expansion of olive oil. It ranges from 7.2 × 10-4 to 7.9 × 10-4. (For this calculation, we assume a value of 7.9 × 10-4.)
If olive oil is heated from 20 °C to 180 °C during frying, its volume increases by approximately 12.7% (α × ΔT = 7.9 × 10-4 × (180 − 20)).