INVESTIGATION OF NANOFIN EFFECT (nFE) FOR INVESTIGATING THE ANOMALOUS PROPERTIES OF NANOFLUIDS

In this study, oleo-nanofluids containing casein (protein nanoparticles) in paraffin oil (which is also a phase change material) were synthesized and the density of the extracted nanofluids was measured using the Archimedean principle of buoyancy. Control experiments were performed to ascertain the long-term stability of the colloidal suspensions by introducing minute variations in the synthesis protocol. The experimental results show an overall enhancement of 13.79% in density compared to the neat solvent. Furthermore, the colloidal density deviates by 6.45% from the values predicted by the conventional mixture rule. This unusual phenomenon of "deviant" or surplus density can be attributed to the formation of a semi-crystalline compressed phase in the non-aqueous fluid domain. The experimental data reported in the present study will be used in the design of experiments for investigating the influence of the 'nanofin effect" (nFE) upon the density deviation observed in oleo-nanofluids.