Thermal transport properties of diamond-based nanofluids and nanocomposites

The focus of this work is to examine the effects nanoparticles, in particular nanodiamond, have on the heat transfer of fluids and polymer solids. Sample preparation techniques that provide suitable nanoparticle dispersion in both liquid and solid samples are discussed. Liquid suspensions are characterized by measuring particle size distributions and liquid viscosities; heat transfer properties are qualitatively compared via an ad-hoc thermal transport test setup. Polymer samples are visually characterized to ensure nanoparticle dispersion and thermal conductivity is measured using a flash lamp technique. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.