Thermal and rheological properties of carbon nanotube-in-oil dispersions

Prior work on asymmetric thermally conducting nanoparticle dispersions has shown that it is possible to raise the thermal conductivity of low thermal conductivity liquids at modest volume fractions of nanoparticles. Stable and reproducible nanotube dispersions require careful control of the dispersant chemistry as well as an understanding of their response to input energy. This paper addresses the effects of dispersant concentration, dispersing energy, and nanoparticle loading on thermal conductivity and steady shear viscosity of nanotube-in-oil dispersions. The thermal conductivity and viscosity of these dispersions correlate with each other and vary with the size of large scale agglomerates, or clustered nanoparticles, in the fluids. Fluids with large scale agglomerates have high thermal conductivities. Dispersion energy, applied by sonication, can decrease agglomerate size, but also breaks the nanotubes, decreasing both the thermal conductivity and viscosity of nanotube dispersions. Developing practical heat transfer fluids containing nanoparticles may require a balance between the thermal conductivity and viscosity of the dispersions. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.