Experimental Study on the Effect of Synthesis Protocol on Colloidal Stability of Nanofluids for Heat Transfer Applications

초록

In this study, the effective thermal conductivity of water-based nanofluids containing different nanoparticles (i.e., SiO2, TiO2, Al2O3 and MWNTs) was experimentally investigated by using a commercial thermometer (e.g., KD2 pro). The homogeneity and the colloidal stability of nanofluids are significant parameters to validate the reliability of nanofluids prior to real applications. Thus, the parametric study was also achieved by adjusting the synthetic conditions such as the degree of pH or hydrophilicity. From the results, it was revealed that the colloidal stability significantly contributed to the enhanced thermal performance of nanofluids, and the stability was affected by change in acidity or surface modifications of nanoparticles.