Experimental Investigation of Viscosity of Nanofluids Containing Oxide Nanoparticles at Varying Shear Rate

The objective of the present work is to find the viscosity of the aluminium oxide, copper oxide and titanium dioxide nanoparticles at a varying shear rate ranging from zero to 500 s(-1) at a fixed temperature of 35 degrees C for a fixed volume fraction of 0.1% with the base fluid as deionized water, engine oil and ethylene glycol on the experimental set up Rheometer of Anton Paar Series. The value of viscosity was found to be decreasing with the increase in the value of shear rate in all the three cases of the oxide nanoparticles. It was observed from the plots that for the shear rate less than 150 s(-1), 200 s(-1), 350 s(-1) the oxide nanoparticles with base fluid as EO, DIW, EG respectively, the shear viscosity of nanoparticle decreases significantly with increase in shear rate, leading to shear thinning behaviour. Thereafter, there is no change in viscosity in all the oxide nanofluids due to complete removal of solvated layers at higher shear rate value of 150, 200, 350 s(-1) upto the value of 500 s(-1) respectively.