Nanofluids: Stability, phase diagram, rheology and applications

There is no doubt about the potential technological significance of nanolluids. The promising application areas have been identified as effective heat transfer fluids, contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging, magnetohyperthermia treatment, precursors to high performance nanocomposites and ordered nanostructures. However, commercial applications are rare, in part due to the limited understanding of the nanofluid fundamentals such as colloid stability, phase diagrams and rheology. This paper intends to provide a brief overview of the scientific disciplines that are important to nanofluids, and the interconnection among different disciplines in order to gain a perspective on the future development of this intriguing area. (C) 2010 Chinese Society of Particuology and Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.