Thermal Conductivities, Rheological Behaviors and Photothermal Properties of Ethylene Glycol-based Nanofluids Containing Carbon Black Nanoparticles

Nanofluid is a new class of heat transfer fluids containing nano-sized particles, fibers, or tubes that are stably suspended in a carrier liquid. In this article, carbon black nanofluids were prepared by dispersing the pre-treated carbon black powder into ethylene glycol. The thermal conductivities, rheological behaviors and photo-thermal properties of the nanofluids were investigated. The results showed that the thermal conductivities of carbon black nanofluids increased with particle loading and temperature. The nanofluids performed a shear thinning behavior. The shear viscosity increased with particle loading while decreased with temperature at the same shear rate. Carbon black nanofluids had good absorption ability of solar energy and could effectively enhance the solar absorption efficiency. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of MRS-Taiwan