Experimental Investigation on Preparation and Stability of Al2O3/CuO-water Nanofluids

As a new working substance of heat transfer, nanofluids have broad application prospects in the field of heat transfer enhancement. The preparation of nanofluids is the foundation for further study on other areas of heat transfer, such as the cooling of electronic components, the use of solar energy, etc. This paper reports the preparation and stability of two common kinds of nanofluids. The Al2O3-water nanofluids with different particle sizes and different mass fractions, and the CuO-water nanofluids with different mass fractions were explored. These nanofluids were prepared by using the two-step method, in which magnetic stirring and ultrasonic vibration were used, and the sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate was used as the dispersant. By exploring the stable situation of these nanofluids, the influences of particle size and mass fraction on nanofluids' stability were discussed. There come to the conclusions that with a higher mass fraction or a larger particle diameter, the nanofluids will easier to precipitate, which means a worse suspension stability.