Investigation of the electrical conductivity of propylene glycol-based ZnO nanofluids
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Electrical conductivity is an important property for technological applications of nanofluids that has not been widely studied. Conventional descriptions such as the Maxwell model do not account for surface charge effects that play an important role in electrical...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SpringerOpen
2011-01-01
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| Series: | Nanoscale Research Letters |
| Online Access: | http://www.nanoscalereslett.com/content/6/1/346 |
| _version_ | 1797715042418819072 |
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| author | White Steven Shih Albert Pipe Kevin |
| author_facet | White Steven Shih Albert Pipe Kevin |
| author_sort | White Steven |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Electrical conductivity is an important property for technological applications of nanofluids that has not been widely studied. Conventional descriptions such as the Maxwell model do not account for surface charge effects that play an important role in electrical conductivity, particularly at higher nanoparticle volume fractions. Here, we perform electrical characterizations of propylene glycol-based ZnO nanofluids with volume fractions as high as 7%, measuring up to a 100-fold increase in electrical conductivity over the base fluid. We observe a large increase in electrical conductivity with increasing volume fraction and decreasing particle size as well as a leveling off of the increase at high volume fractions. These experimental trends are shown to be consistent with an electrical conductivity model previously developed for colloidal suspensions in salt-free media. In particular, the leveling off of electrical conductivity at high volume fractions, which we attribute to counter-ion condensation, represents a significant departure from the "linear fit" models previously used to describe the electrical conductivity of nanofluids.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T08:00:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-79238c637e08493b84f6f1dcc60364fa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1931-7573 1556-276X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T08:00:59Z |
| publishDate | 2011-01-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nanoscale Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-79238c637e08493b84f6f1dcc60364fa2023-09-02T19:52:08ZengSpringerOpenNanoscale Research Letters1931-75731556-276X2011-01-0161346Investigation of the electrical conductivity of propylene glycol-based ZnO nanofluidsWhite StevenShih AlbertPipe Kevin<p>Abstract</p> <p>Electrical conductivity is an important property for technological applications of nanofluids that has not been widely studied. Conventional descriptions such as the Maxwell model do not account for surface charge effects that play an important role in electrical conductivity, particularly at higher nanoparticle volume fractions. Here, we perform electrical characterizations of propylene glycol-based ZnO nanofluids with volume fractions as high as 7%, measuring up to a 100-fold increase in electrical conductivity over the base fluid. We observe a large increase in electrical conductivity with increasing volume fraction and decreasing particle size as well as a leveling off of the increase at high volume fractions. These experimental trends are shown to be consistent with an electrical conductivity model previously developed for colloidal suspensions in salt-free media. In particular, the leveling off of electrical conductivity at high volume fractions, which we attribute to counter-ion condensation, represents a significant departure from the "linear fit" models previously used to describe the electrical conductivity of nanofluids.</p>http://www.nanoscalereslett.com/content/6/1/346 |
| spellingShingle | White Steven Shih Albert Pipe Kevin Investigation of the electrical conductivity of propylene glycol-based ZnO nanofluids Nanoscale Research Letters |
| title | Investigation of the electrical conductivity of propylene glycol-based ZnO nanofluids |
| title_full | Investigation of the electrical conductivity of propylene glycol-based ZnO nanofluids |
| title_fullStr | Investigation of the electrical conductivity of propylene glycol-based ZnO nanofluids |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigation of the electrical conductivity of propylene glycol-based ZnO nanofluids |
| title_short | Investigation of the electrical conductivity of propylene glycol-based ZnO nanofluids |
| title_sort | investigation of the electrical conductivity of propylene glycol based zno nanofluids |
| url | http://www.nanoscalereslett.com/content/6/1/346 |
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