Synthesis and Characterization
of Nanofluids: Thermal Conductivity,
Electrical Conductivity and Particle Size
Distribution
Divya P. Barai, Kalyani K. Chichghare, Shivani S. Chawhan
and Bharat A. Bhanvase
Abstract A new type of fluid, called nanofluid, has found numerous applications
in engineering sector due to its outstanding properties. These are known as suspensions of nano-sized particles in fluids called basefluids. The suspension of these
nanoparticles in the basefluid shows significant influence on its physical properties.
In view of this, in the present book chapter, the properties of the nanofluid like its
thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity and so on have been discussed and the
notable studies carried out in the past have been summarized. Several factors that
are responsible for the alteration of the properties of nanofluids at varying degrees
are identified and discussed in this chapter. Further, these properties contribute to
the distinctive applications of nanofluids in various engineering fields, which are
reviewed and discussed in this chapter.
Keywords Nanofluids · Thermal conductivity · Electrical conductivity · Particle
size distribution (PSD) · Basefluid
1 Introduction
Owing to the ever-increasing need for heat management at micro level, such as computer chips, and macro-level, such as car engines, cooling and heat transfer has gained
a lot of importance in domestic as well as industrial systems and technologies. It is a
general truth about solids that they possess higher thermal conductivity than liquids.
The great scientist James Clerk Maxwell (1881) developed the fact that solids dispersed in liquids enhance the thermal conductivity of those liquids, and that is when
studies for enhancement of thermal properties of conventional heat transfer liquids
gained an impetus. Millimetre or micrometre-sized particles were used to conduct
these studies. But, the major issue coming in the way of using these particles was
that they settle very rapidly in liquids and may also cause abrasion, clogging and
additional pressure drop (Das et al. 2006). These issues limit the use of conventional
D. P. Barai · K. K. Chichghare · S. S. Chawhan · B. A. Bhanvase (B)
Chemical Engineering Department, Laxminarayan Institute of Technology, Rashtrasant Tukadoji
Maharaj Nagpur University, Nagpur, MS, India
e-mail: ba.bhanvase@nagpuruniversity.nic.in
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
L. Ledwani and J. S. Sangwai (eds.), Nanotechnology for Energy and Environmental
Engineering, Green Energy and Technology,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-33774-2_1
1
of Nanofluids: Thermal Conductivity,
Electrical Conductivity and Particle Size
Distribution
Divya P. Barai, Kalyani K. Chichghare, Shivani S. Chawhan
and Bharat A. Bhanvase
Abstract A new type of fluid, called nanofluid, has found numerous applications
in engineering sector due to its outstanding properties. These are known as suspensions of nano-sized particles in fluids called basefluids. The suspension of these
nanoparticles in the basefluid shows significant influence on its physical properties.
In view of this, in the present book chapter, the properties of the nanofluid like its
thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity and so on have been discussed and the
notable studies carried out in the past have been summarized. Several factors that
are responsible for the alteration of the properties of nanofluids at varying degrees
are identified and discussed in this chapter. Further, these properties contribute to
the distinctive applications of nanofluids in various engineering fields, which are
reviewed and discussed in this chapter.
Keywords Nanofluids · Thermal conductivity · Electrical conductivity · Particle
size distribution (PSD) · Basefluid
1 Introduction
Owing to the ever-increasing need for heat management at micro level, such as computer chips, and macro-level, such as car engines, cooling and heat transfer has gained
a lot of importance in domestic as well as industrial systems and technologies. It is a
general truth about solids that they possess higher thermal conductivity than liquids.
The great scientist James Clerk Maxwell (1881) developed the fact that solids dispersed in liquids enhance the thermal conductivity of those liquids, and that is when
studies for enhancement of thermal properties of conventional heat transfer liquids
gained an impetus. Millimetre or micrometre-sized particles were used to conduct
these studies. But, the major issue coming in the way of using these particles was
that they settle very rapidly in liquids and may also cause abrasion, clogging and
additional pressure drop (Das et al. 2006). These issues limit the use of conventional
D. P. Barai · K. K. Chichghare · S. S. Chawhan · B. A. Bhanvase (B)
Chemical Engineering Department, Laxminarayan Institute of Technology, Rashtrasant Tukadoji
Maharaj Nagpur University, Nagpur, MS, India
e-mail: ba.bhanvase@nagpuruniversity.nic.in
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
L. Ledwani and J. S. Sangwai (eds.), Nanotechnology for Energy and Environmental
Engineering, Green Energy and Technology,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-33774-2_1
1