Fabrication of copper oxide nanofluid using submerged arc nanoparticle synthesis system (SANSS)

The optimal parameters are found for preparing nanofluid in our submerged arc nanoparticle synthesis system (SANSS) using a copper electrode. A suspended copper oxide nanofluid is thus produced at the current of 8.5–10 A, voltage of 220 V, pulse duration of 12 μs, and dielectric liquid temperature of 2°C. The CuO nanoparticle are characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron diffraction pattern (SAD) and electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA). The equality volume spherical diameter of the obtained copper oxide particle is 49.1 nm, regular shape and narrow size distribution.     

The initial stages of deposition of Cu on ZnO(101̄0) and MgO(001) surfaces studied by electron energy loss spectroscopy

The copper deposition on single crystal ZnO(101̄0) and MgO(001) surfaces has been studied by electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) in UHV at room temperature. The initial deposited Cu (well below one monolayer) induces a loss peak at about 2 eV on both oxide surfaces and at 4.3 eV on the MgO(001) surface. Based upon heat treatment and oxidation experiments the 2 eV structure is assigned to the electronic resonance of Cu(I) from the Cu deposit on the oxide matrix substrates. On the basis of the experiments the colour-center-related loss peaks, at 2.6 eV for MgO(001) and at 1.9 eV for ZnO(101̄0), are believed to be due to electronic resonance of a V⁻_s center, and the metal ion vacancies are suggested to be active centers which interact with the submonolayer copper deposits. Finally, the electronic energy loss spectra from the Cu-covered oxide surfaces are discussed in the framework of electronic band structures.     

Preparation of graphene encapsulated copper nanoparticles from CuCl2-GIC

Graphene encapsulated metallic copper nanoparticle composite was prepared by reduction of stage-2 CuCl₂-graphite intercalation compounds, using both metallic potassium and potassium borohydride/ethylenediamine matrix as reducing reagents. X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy were employed to characterize the reduction products. The results show that the copper nanoparticles in the graphite matrix are 30 to 70 nm in size. The copper concentration in the reduction product is experimental-condition dependant. A severe structure disorder of graphitic carbon occurs during the reduction procedure. The formation procedure of copper particles in the graphene sheets is discussed briefly.     

Investigation on Heat Transfer and Pressure Drop of Copper–Water Nanofluid Flow in Plain and Perforated Channels

This article reports an experimental study on copper–water nanofluid flow inside plain and perforated channels. The effects of flow rate and nanoparticle concentration on the heat transfer and pressure drop are studied. It is found that the perforated channel has a remarkable heat transfer enhancement of 24.6%. Furthermore, by using the copper–water nanofluid instead of the base fluid, the heat transfer coefficient as well as pressure drop are increased for both plain and perforated channels. A noticeable thermal performance factor of 1.34 is obtained for the simultaneous utilization of both the heat transfer enhancement techniques considered in this article.     

Heat transfer enhancement by application of nano-powder

In this investigation, laminar flow heat transfer enhancement in circular tube utilizing different nanofluids including Al₂O₃ (20 nm), CuO (50 nm), and Cu (25 nm) nanoparticles in water was studied. Constant wall temperature was used as thermal boundary condition. The results indicate enhancement of heat transfer with increasing nanoparticle concentrations, but an optimum concentration for each nanofluid suspension can be found. Based on the experimental results, metallic nanoparticles show better enhancement of heat transfer coefficient in comparison with oxide particles. The promotions of heat transfer due to utilizing nanoparticles are higher than the theoretical correlation prediction.     

Flow and heat transfer of a hybrid nanofluid past a permeable moving surface

A steady flow and heat transfer of a hybrid nanofluid past a permeable moving surface is investigated. In this study, 0.1 solid volume fraction of alumina (Al₂O₃) is fixed, then consequently, various solid volume fractions of copper (Cu) are added into the mixture with water as the base fluid to form Cu-Al₂O₃/water hybrid nanofluid. The similarity equations are obtained by converting the governing equations of the hybrid nanofluid using the technique of similarity transformation. The bvp4c function available in Matlab software is used to solve the similarity equations numerically. The numerical results are obtained for selected parameters and discussed in detail. It is found that hybrid nanofluid enhances the heat transfer rate compared to the regular nanofluid. The results show that two solutions exist up to a certain value of the moving parameter and suction strengths. The critical value in which the solution is in existence decreases as nanoparticle volume fractions increase. The temporal stability analysis is conducted in determining the stability of the dual solutions, and it is revealed that only one of them is stable and physically reliable.     

Thermally Radiative Rotating Magneto-Nanofluid Flow over an Exponential Sheet with Heat Generation and Viscous Dissipation:A Comparative Study

This article examines a mathematical model to analyze the rotating flow of three-dimensional water based nanofluid over a convectively heated exponentially stretching sheet in the presence of transverse magnetic field with additional effects of thermal radiation,Joule heating and viscous dissipation.Silver(Ag),copper(Cu),copper oxide(Cu O),aluminum oxide(Al_2O_3)and titanium dioxide(Ti O_2)have been taken under consideration as the nanoparticles and water(H_2O)as the base fluid.Using suitable similarity transformations,the governing partial differential equations(PDEs)of the modeled problem are transformed to the ordinary differential equations(ODEs).These ODEs are then solved numerically by applying the shooting method.For the particular situation,the results are compared with the available literature.The effects of different nanoparticles on the temperature distribution are also discussed graphically and numerically.It is witnessed that the skin friction coefficient is maximum for silver based nanofluid.Also,the velocity profile is found to diminish for the increasing values of the magnetic parameter.     

Extreme wettability due to dendritic copper nanostructure via electrodeposition

Dendritic copper film with convertible extreme wettability is prepared on metal surface via electrodeposition. With field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electrochemical measurement, the morphology, composition and formation mechanism of dendritic copper film were studied. It is found that the film is mainly composed of metallic copper. Also some residual cuprous oxide and chloride exist in the deposit. The single micron-sized dendrite consists of a main stem with side branches, on which the higher-order branches with the dimension of tens of nanometers grow. A hydrophobic modification can induce the conversion of the apparent wettability of film from super-hydrophilicity (with apparent water contact angle of 5 ± 3°) to super-hydrophobicity (with apparent water contact angle of 154.1 ± 3°), which is due to the capillary effect. The method proposed in this paper is time-saving and facile to operate, and it offers a promising technique to prepare metallic surface with a high wettability contrast for water.     

Structural and magnetic features of heterogeneously nucleated Fe-oxide nanoparticles

Iron oxide nanoparticles of diameter 14 nm were synthesized by applying Pt seed-assisted heterogeneous thermal decomposition of Fe(CO)₅ in a two-stage procedure. The intense heating treatment resulted in a remarkable mean volume increment compared to previous studies. This method is able to control the nanoparticle mean diameter, keeping the demand for thermal energy at low levels. High-resolution electron microscopy images and the corresponding electron diffraction patterns revealed the appearance of a FePt₃ core in each nanoparticle, surrounded by highly crystallized inverse spinel Fe₃O₄ formed after atmospheric oxidation, as shown by a combination of X-ray diffraction and chemical analysis. Magnetic measurements indicated that the presence of Pt-rich core does not cause any visible modification to the values of saturation magnetization and anisotropy constant of nanoparticles, compared to homogeneously nucleated iron oxide particles of the same size.     

Poly ethylene oxide (PEO)–LiI polymer electrolytes embedded with CdO nanoparticles

Improvement of electrical conductivity of poly ethylene oxide (PEO)–LiI polymer electrolytes is necessary for their use in solid state lithium ion battery. In this study a new kind of PEO–LiI-based polymer electrolytes embedded with CdO nanoparticles with improved electrical conductivity has been prepared and characterized. The electron microscopic studies confirm that CdO nanoparticles of average size 2.5 nm are dispersed in the PEO matrix. The glass transition temperature of the PEO–LiI electrolyte decreases with the introduction of CdO nanoparticle in the polymer matrix. X-ray diffraction, electron microscopic, and differential scanning calorimetry studies show that the amorphous phase of PEO increases with the introduction of CdO nanoparticle and that the increase in amorphous phase is maximum for 0.10 wt% CdO doping. The electrical conductivity of the sample with 0.10 wt% CdO increases by three orders in magnitude than that of the PEO–LiI electrolyte. The electrical conductivity of PEO–LiI electrolyte embedded with CdO nanoparticle exhibits VTF behavior with reciprocal temperature indicating a strong coupling between the ionic and the polymer chain segmental motions.     

Modeling of nanoparticles’ aggregation and sedimentation in nanofluid

The aggregation and sedimentation of nanoparticles in nanofluid have significant influences on the stability and applicability of nanofluids. The objective of this study is to propose a model to predict the nanoparticles’ aggregation and sedimentation characteristics. The characteristics are evaluated by the concentration of nanoparticles in nanofluid at different time. The concentration of nanoparticles can be calculated according to the speed and location of each nanoparticle. Then, the speed and location of each nanoparticle can be yielded when the forces on each nanoparticle are determined. For the forces on nanoparticles are related to the space structure of nanoparticle clusters, the clusters’ space structures are simulated. Case study shows that the mean deviation of predicted nanoparticle concentration from experimental data for Fullerence + H₂O, Fullerence + Oil and CuO + Oil nanofluids are 25%, 16% and 13%, respectively. The model can provide quantitative prediction of the aggregation and sedimentation characteristics of nanoparticles in nanofluid.     

Low-temperature synthesis and growth of superparamagnetic Zn0.5Ni0.5Fe2O4 nanosized particles

Mono-disperse spinel Ni_0.5Zn_0.5Fe₂O₄ nanosized particles have been synthesized via a hydrothermal method at low temperature. X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) analysis indicated that the synthesized nanocrystals were of pure cubic spinel structure with the size about 6-20 nm. The activation energy of grain growth is 35.06 kJ/mol experimented by the Arrhenius equation. A primary experimental model was put forward to shed light on the growth mechanism of crystallined spinel Ni-Zn ferrite nanosized particles under hydrothermal conditions. The magnetic measurements shows that the prepared Ni_0.5Zn_0.5Fe₂O₄ nanoparticle possess good superparamagnetic behavior.     

Heat Transfer and Pressure Drop Characteristics of Graphene Oxide/Water Nanofluid in a Circular Tube Fitted with Wire Coil Insert

In this work, heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of graphene oxide/water nanofluid flow through a circular tube having a wire coil insert were studied. The required graphene oxide was synthesized via the Hummer method and characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (SRD), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) methods. Dispersing graphene oxide in the water, nanofluids with 0.02, 0.07, and 0.12% volume fraction were prepared. An experimental set-up was designed and made to investigate the heat transfer performance and pressure loss of nanofluids. All experiments were carried out in the constant heat flux at tube wall conditions. The volumetric flow rates of the nanofluid were adjusted at 6, 8, and 10 L/min. Thermal conductivity, specific heat, density, and viscosity as thermophysical properties of the nanofluid were calculated using graphene oxide and water properties at the average temperature via appropriate relations. These properties were applied to calculate the convective heat transfer coefficient, Nusselt number, and friction factors for each experiment. Finally, the constant and exponents of Duangthongsuk and Wongwises's correlations for Nusselt number and friction factor were corrected by experimental results. The achieved experimental data have shown good agreement with those predicted. The results have shown that 0.12 vol% of graphene oxide in the water can enhance convective heat transfer coefficient by about 77%. As a result, it can be concluded that the graphene oxide/water can be used in the heat transfer devices to achieve more efficiency.     

Particle agglomeration and properties of nanofluids

The present study demonstrates the importance of actual agglomerated particle size in the nanofluid and its effect on the fluid properties. The current work deals with 5 to 100 nm nanoparticles dispersed in fluids that resulted in 200 to 800 nm agglomerates. Particle size distributions for a range of nanofluids are measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS). Wet scanning electron microscopy method is used to visualize agglomerated particles in the dispersed state and to confirm particle size measurements by DLS. Our results show that a combination of base fluid chemistry and nanoparticle type is very important to create stable nanofluids. Several nanofluids resulted in stable state without any stabilizers, but in the long term had agglomerations of 250 % over a 2 month period. The effects of agglomeration on the thermal and rheological properties are presented for several types of nanoparticle and base fluid chemistries. Despite using nanodiamond particles with high thermal conductivity and a very sensitive laser flash thermal conductivity measurement technique, no anomalous increases of thermal conductivity was measured. The thermal conductivity increases of nanofluid with the particle concentration are as those predicted by Maxwell and Bruggeman models. The level of agglomeration of nanoparticles hardly influenced the thermal conductivity of the nanofluid. The viscosity of nanofluids increased strongly as the concentration of particle is increased; it displays shear thinning and is a strong function of the level of agglomeration. The viscosity increase is significantly above of that predicted by the Einstein model even for very small concentration of nanoparticles.     

Influence of metallic nanoparticles in water driven along a wavy circular cylinder

In the present study, simultaneous effects of metallic nanoparticles and magnetohydrodynamic due to stagnation point flow of nanofluid along a wave circular cylinder is presented. The effect of induced magnetic field is incorporated to deal the boundary and thermal boundary layer domain. Mathematical modelling for momentum and energy equation is constructed that is based upon three different kinds of nanoparticles namely: copper (Cu), Titanium di oxide (TiO₂), and alumina (Al₂O₃) within the working fluid water. Each mixture is analysed at the individual level and made comparison amongst all the mixture to examine the resistance and thermal conductivity of nanofluid within the boundary layer region. The solutions are exposed via boundary value problem using shooting method along with the Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg method. The characteristics of emerging parameters for the fluid flow and heat transfer are discussed through graphs and tables. The effects of ϕ (nanoparticle volume fraction) on heat transfer and shear stress at the wall are analysed in detail. It is finally concluded that by increasing the ratio of nanoparticles there is a significant increase in the temperature but slight decrease in the velocity profile.     

Synthesis and characterization of PbS nanorods and nanowires

 A surfactant assisted solvotermal approach for the controllable synthesis of PbS nanowires and nanorods is applied. The synthesis is based on decomposition of lead thiocyanate in boiling benzyl alcohol with Cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide used as a surfactant. Nanowires of PbS (about 2–3 μm with an average diameter of 30–50 nm) and nanorods (200–300 nm in length with an axial ratio of 4–5) were synthesised. The nanostructures were characterized by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and X-ray diffraction analysis. The experimental results indicate that the reaction duration and concentration of surfactant play key roles in determining the final morphologies of PbS blocks building and also in their crystallinity. A possible mechanism for creation of PbS nanowires and nanorods is discussed.     

Transition temperature to crystal phase of Al86Mn14 quasicrystal ultrafine particles determined by direct observation and characterization of surface oxide layer

Al–Mn quasicrystal ultrafine particles can be produced by the advanced gas evaporation method (AGEM), which is a method of preparing ultrafine alloy particles by coalescence growth among the particles near the evaporation sources. We investigated the phase transition temperature from a quasicrystal to a stable crystal, by examining successive electron diffraction patterns of an ultrafine particle in an in situ experiment using a transmission electron microscope. In spite of the report that the Al₈₆Mn₁₄ quasicrystal transforms into the crystal phase at around 400–670 °C on thin film specimens, the quasicrystal ultrafine particle transformed at 800 °C, i.e., the quasicrystal ultrafine particle is more stable. Since the cross-sectional view of the surface oxide layer of the quasicrystal ultrafine particles can be easily observed, the surface oxides of η-Al₂O₃ and MnO were characterized as a result of the oxidation of residual atoms on the surface of the produced alloy particles including the quasicrystals. The conditions required for Al–Mn quasicrystal ultrafine particle formation by the AGEM can be estimated under the cooling rate of 10⁵ K/s.     

Details of crystalline growth in co-deposited electroplated nickel films with hard (nano)particles

Electroplated nickel dispersion films with incorporated hard particles, primarily titanium oxide, were studied. A sufficient dispersion of nanometre-scaled particles in Watts solution was reached by application of ultrasonic energy to the galvanic bath. Crystal morphology, mean grain size and formation of textures were examined by electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The typical columnar structure of pure Ni films was refined by means of ultrasound. Incorporation of micron-sized TiO₂ particles generates additional nucleation surfaces in contrast to SiC particles. Textures of the subsequent columnar nickel crystals change from 〈2 1 1〉 (silent condition) or 〈1 1 0〉 (ultrasonic condition) fibre textures in growth direction to 〈1 0 0〉 and 〈1 1 1〉 textures under the influence of nanoparticle incorporation. Moreover, nanoparticles remarkably decrease the grain size and grain aspect ratio. Their incorporation takes place inside the crystals as well as between grains.     

Numerical investigation of laminar flow and heat transfer in a radial flow cooling system with the use of nanofluids

Nanofluids, because of their enhanced heat transfer capability as compared to normal water/glycol/oil based fluids, offer the engineer opportunities for development in areas where high heat transfer, low temperature tolerance and small component size are required. In this present paper, the hydrodynamic and thermal fields of a water–γAl₂O₃ nanofluid in a radial laminar flow cooling system are considered. Results indicate that considerable heat transfer enhancement is possible, even achieving a twofold increase in the case of a 10% nanoparticle volume fraction nanofluid. On the other hand, an increase in wall shear stress is also noticed with an increase in particle volume concentration.     

Fabrication and characterization of silver/titanium dioxide composite nanoparticles in ethylene glycol with alkaline solution through sonochemical process

This paper aims to study fabrication and characterization of silver/titanium oxide composite nanoparticle through sonochemical process in the presence of ethylene glycol with alkaline solution. By using ultrasonic irradiation of a mixture of silver nitrate, the dispersed TiO₂ nanoparticle in ethylene glycol associated with aqueous solution of sodium oxide yields Ag/TiO₂ composite nanoparticle with shell/core-type geometry. The powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) of the Ag/TiO₂ composites showed additional diffraction peaks corresponding to the face-centered cubic (fcc) structure of silver crystallization phase, apart from the signals from the cores of TiO₂. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images of Ag/TiO₂ composites, which average particle size is roughly 80 nm, reveal that the titanium oxide coated by Ag nanoparticle with a grain size of about 2–5 nm. Additionally, the formation of silver nanoparticles on TiO₂ was monitored by ultraviolet visible light spectrophotometer (UV–Vis). As measured the optical absorption spectra of as-synthesized Ag nanoparticle varying with time, the mechanism of surface formatting silver shell on the cores of TiO₂ could be explored by autocatalytic reaction; the conversion of Ag particle from silver ion is 98% for the reaction time of 1000 s; and the activity energy of synthesizing Ag nanoparticles on TiO₂ is 40 kJ/mol at temperature ranging from 5 to 25 °C. Hopefully, this preliminary investigation could be used for mass production of composite nanoparticles assisted by ultrasonic chemistry in the future.