Experimental validation of numerical predictions for “Deviant” density enhancement of protein emulsions in oil (Oleo-Nanofluids)

Abstract

In this study, an analytical model for estimating the total effective density of nanofluids is developed and experimentally validated. The numerical model is based on weighted average, in proportion, to the indvidual mass fractions of solvent, nanoparticle, and compressed phase of solvent around nanoparticle. Experimental validation of the numerical predictions for deviations in density values, over that of the simple mixture rule, were performed. The neat solvent used in the experiments was a paraffin oil-based phase change material. The experimental results show that the overall enhancement in the density of the nanofluid was 10.9% of which the formation of the compressed phase can be attributed to cause the nanofluid density to deviate by 3%. The “deviant” component of the enhancement for the measured values of density of the nanofluid samples are calculated by taking the difference between the measured values of density and the values predicted by the conventional mixture rule. The experimental results from this study conclusively demonstrate that the formation of the compressed phase can cause deviant behavior by anomalous enhancement of the density (“surplus density”) of the samples of oleo-nanofluids synthesized in this study.