Stability and thermophysical properties enhancement of Al2O3-water nanofluid using cationic CTAB surfactant

Abstract

Excellent thermal characteristics of homogeneous dispersion of nano-sized particles in a carrier fluid (nanofluid) make it appealing for use in a variety of thermal applications. The study aims to prepare stable aqua-Al2O3 nanofluid utilizing a two-step method. To increase nanofluid stability, a cationic surfactant called cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) is used. The carrier fluid is heated while magnetic stirring is used to increase nanoparticle distribution. Bath sonication with concurrent heating and probe sonication is used to improve long-term stability. The chemical composition of γ-Al2O3 was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) results, and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images revealed the shape and mean size of the particles. The stability of the synthesized sample is evaluated utilizing a variety of stability evaluation techniques, including visual examination, UV-vis spectrometry, and Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), at various time intervals, including 1, 8, 15, and 30 days. After 15 days of manufacture, the stability of the nanofluid without surfactant was low. Due to improved particle suspension, nanofluid with surfactant has demonstrated greater UV-vis light absorption. After a month of synthesis, it was discovered that the mean particle sizes of suspended nanoparticles in carrier fluid were 80 nm and 536 nm for nanofluid with and without surfactant respectively. KD2Pro thermal analyzer and viscometer were used to measure the thermal conductivity and viscosity of nanofluid. As per the experimental results, a nanofluid's thermophysical characteristics were found to be improved with volume concentration of nanofluid. Maximum augmentation in thermal conductivity and dynamic viscosity is 8.5% and 76.2% respectively at 1% nanofluid volume concentration.