Transient thermal conductivity and colloidal stability measurements of nanofluids by using the 3omega method

Nanofluid is a mixture of nanoscale particles of metal, metal oxide or carbon nanotube and heat transfer fluids such as water and ethylene glycol. This work presents the application of the 3-omega (3omega) method for measuring the colloidal stability and the transient thermal conductivity of multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT), Al2O3 and TiO2 nanoparticles suspended in water or ethylene glycol. The microfabricated 3omega device is verified by comparing the measured thermal conductivities of pure fluids with the table values. After the validation, the transient thermal responses of the nanofluids are measured to evaluate the colloidal stability. All of Al2O3 nanofluid samples show a clear sign of sedimentation while the acid-treated MWCNT (tMWCNT) nanofluid and a couple of TiO2 nanofluids with pH control or surfactant addition are found to have excellent colloidal stability. The thermal conductivities of tMWCNT nanofluids in the de-ionized water and ethylene glycol are measured, which are found to be in good agreement with previous data.