A comparative experimental investigation of dynamic viscosity of ZrO2/DW and SiC/DW nanofluids: Characterization, rheological behavior, and development of new correlation

Abstract

In general, A nanofluid is a substance in which solids and fluids are mixed. The nano-powder of zirconium oxide (ZrO2) and silicon carbide (SiC) was dispersed into the distilled water (DW) using the widely adopted two-step technique. A Brookfield viscometer was used to measure the viscosity of the nanoparticles of ZrO2/DW and SiC/DW, where the temperature ranged between 20 and 60 °C and different solid volume fractions of 0.025, 0.05, 0.075, and 0.1 % were used. An examination of the mono nanofluids of ZrO2/DW and SiC/DW was conducted to assess their rheological behaviour. The findings of the experiments revealed that the Newtonian behaviour did not change when the nano-powder was added. Increasing the solid volume fraction of the nanoparticles and lowering the temperature resulted in the sample's dynamic viscosity being augmented. Hence, as the temperature rose, nanoparticles had a more observable impact on the viscosity. Furthermore, the findings showed that the increase in the ZrO2/DW nanofluid's viscosity peaked at 226.3 %, whereas for the SiC/DW nanofluid, it was 110.5 %. Additionally, according to the results of the experiments, new correlations capable of predicting the investigated nanofluids' viscosity in relation to solid concentration and temperature has been suggested. The study's results could motivate expanded utilization of nanofluids by researchers working on energy applications.