Rice University leads research to find the best nanofluid
for heat transfer
A mixture of diamond
nanoparticles and mineral oil easily outperforms other types of fluid created
for heat-transfer applications, according to new research by Rice University.
Rice scientists mixed very low concentrations of diamond
particles (about 6 nanometers in diameter) with mineral oil to test the
nanofluid’s thermal conductivity and how temperature would affect its
viscosity. They found it to be much better than nanofluids that contain higher
amounts of oxide, nitride or carbide ceramics, metals, semiconductors, carbon
nanotubes and other composite materials.