Raw multi-walled carbon nanotubes (r-MWCNTs) and Cu nanoparticles are dispersed in an epoxy matrix in varying quantities to create composite polymers with enhanced thermal conductivities. A study was then conducted to determine if the boundary thermal contact resistance could be reduced by increasing the thermal conductivity. The boundary thermal contact resistance was found to be approximately constant across all samples containing the copper nanoparticles. The boundary thermal contact resistance was ...
The thermal conductivity and dynamic viscosity of Al2O3-ethylene glycol and TiO2-ethylene glycol nanofluids have been determined as a function of the nanoparticle volume fraction (from 1 to 3 %) and temperature. It was determined that the thermal conductivity increased with increasing temperature as well as with increasing particle volume fraction for both types of nanofluids, but increasing the particle volume fraction caused a more significant increase than increasing the temperature. ...
Four different paraffin-based nanocomposite phase change materials (PCMs) were prepared by dispersion of 20 v. % of graphene, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), aluminum, or TiO2 nanoparticles into a paraffin matrix. It was found that the two carbon-based nanoparticles reduced the time required for melting and solidification of the PCM by a greater amount than the two other nanoparticles. The graphene-paraffin PCM was found to reduce the melt and re-solidification time by the ...
The authors have carried out an experimental and numerical study on the effects of seeding Al2O3 nanoparticles in a paraffin wax phase change material (PCM) on the thermal conductivity and the latent heat of fusion. It was determined that the addition of the nanoparticles (up to 1 wt. %) resulted in the nano-PCM having a higher thermal conductivity than the pure paraffin wax. The latent heat of fusion was also found ...
Zinc sulfide nanoparticles were embedded in a poly(methyl methacrylate) matrix to prepare a nanocomposite polymer with a higher thermal conductivity than the pure polymer. It was determined by TEM that at a low concentration of filler particles, the particles are uniformly dispersed throughout the matrix; however, at higher concentrations, agglomeration of the filler particles occurs. The effective thermal conductivity for all samples was found to increase with increasing temperature ...
