Synthesis and characterization of Zinc oxide nanoparticles-polyvinyl alcohol-polyethylene glycol nanofluids (ZNO-Nps-PVA-PEG-NF)

Abstract

Water and oil are known conventional fluids used in heat transfer processes due to their availability at low cost. The limited heat transfer potentialities of these conventional fluids in the industries for heat and mass transfer equipment such as heat exchangers, air coolers and chemical unit processes, has been a major challenge over the years. This is due to the poor thermal conductivity of these conventional fluids. Nanofluid offers a promising future for such industries because they give better performance than conventional fluids due to the presence of suspended nanoparticle which has high thermal conductivity. Nanofluid is a fluid containing particles in nanometer range called nanoparticles. This research work looks at the synthesis and characterization of Zinc oxide nanoparticles polyvinyl alcohol/polyethylene glycol nanofluids (ZnO-Nps-PVA-PEG-NF). The results from the experiment showed that ZnO Nps with hexagonal wurtzite structure and average size 15 nm was formed using X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis to determine the sample crystalline structure and sizes. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image used to determine the morphology of the prepared ZnO Nps-PVA-PEG NF showed a well dispersed ZnO Nps in PVA-PEG base fluid. The ZnO Nps-PVA-PEG NF also showed stability for up to two weeks before aggregation and the PVA-PEG composite base fluid also acted as a stabilizing agent for the ZnO Nps in ZnO Nps-PVA-PEG NF. These findings make ZnO Nps-PVA-PEG NF a possible replacement for conventional fluids with its unique properties.

Keywords — Zinc oxide nanopaticles, Polyvinyl alcohol, Polyethylene glycol, Nanofluid, X-ray

diffraction, Scanning electron microscopy