Thermal conductivity and density of plant oils under high pressure

The effect of pressure on the thermal conductivity and density of olive, safflower, linseed, and castor oils in the temperature range of (283 to 333) K and pressures up to 400 MPa was studied. The thermal conductivity measurements were carried out using a transient hot-wire method with an estimated uncertainty of 2.7 mW.m(-1)K(-1). The density of olive oil was determined within an uncertainty of 0.3 % by a Jamin interferometer. Results reveal an increase in the thermal conductivity and density with pressure. The pressure dependency of the thermal conductivity of these plant oils correlates with the coefficient of isothermal compressibility. The temperature dependency of the thermal conductivity is linked to the isobaric thermal expansion coefficient. This agrees well with the vibrational theory of thermal conductivity due to Horrocks and McLaughlin. From this model, the relation between thermal conductivity and density lambda/lambda(0) = (p/p(o))(g) can be obtained. The application of our data to this relation leads to g approximate to 3, which is typical for organic liquids.