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Title: Anomalously increased effective thermal conductivities of ethylene glycol-based nanofluids containing copper nanoparticles

Journal Article · · Applied Physics Letters
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1341218· OSTI ID:40205272

It is shown that a ''nanofluid'' consisting of copper nanometer-sized particles dispersed in ethylene glycol has a much higher effective thermal conductivity than either pure ethylene glycol or ethylene glycol containing the same volume fraction of dispersed oxide nanoparticles. The effective thermal conductivity of ethylene glycol is shown to be increased by up to 40% for a nanofluid consisting of ethylene glycol containing approximately 0.3 vol% Cu nanoparticles of mean diameter <10 nm. The results are anomalous based on previous theoretical calculations that had predicted a strong effect of particle shape on effective nanofluid thermal conductivity, but no effect of either particle size or particle thermal conductivity.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL
Sponsoring Organization:
(US)
OSTI ID:
40205272
Journal Information:
Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 78, Issue 6; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.1341218; Othernumber: APPLAB000078000006000718000001; 012104APL; PBD: 5 Feb 2001; ISSN 0003-6951
Publisher:
The American Physical Society
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English