Synthesis and Stability of Al2O3/Water Nanofluids

Abstract

The nanofluids may be considered as multifaceted fluids, generally employed to improve the effectiveness of thermal systems, though poor stability due to sedimentation and agglomeration has limited their applications in practical use. In this work, commercial Al2O3 nanopowders were dispersed in distilled water using CTAB as surfactant. Stable Al2O3 /water nanofluids with weight concentrations ranging from 0.02–0.5 wt% were synthesized using bath and probe ultrasonication. Nanopowders were characterized using high-resolution TEM micrography. UV–Vis spectroscopy and zeta potential tests were also conducted to check stability of the nanofluids.