Dataset on thermal conductivity of composted olive cake (COC)

Abstract

Thermal properties play a critical role in the compost used as a soil amendment for different agricultural applications especially for green roof buildings. Despite this importance, there remains insufficient information on thermal conductivity of composted olive cake (COC), K, and how it is influenced by bulk its density and water content. This shows how thermal conductivity (K) is affected by these two parameters and the potential use of COC as cheap padding in geothermal heat storage and green roof building applications. Thermal conductivities of 30 samples of (COC) were measured experimentally at different moisture contents and bulk densities using a hot wire technique. The results revealed that thermal conductivity exhibits a linear increase as both bulk density and water content increased. It increased from 0.10 to 0.60 W/(m K) at saturation levels ranging from dry to 90 %. The highest thermal conductivity of 0.60 W/m K was revealed at a water content of 90 %. Therefore, (COC) might be used as an inexpensive padding in geothermal heat storage applications and as an eco-friendly insulation pad in green- roof buildings, leading to passive energy savings. Overall, the study provides important insights into the thermal properties of COC and its potential as a sustainable insulation material.