DefinePK

Abstract

Dispersion of carbon nanotubes (CNT) in aqueous media is a challenging task for their utilization in industrial heat transfer applications. Since, CNT are hydrophobic in nature, so they remain unstable in polar base fluids. But, use of surfactants has opened a new gateway for resolving the problem of CNT dispersion by attaching non-covalent hydrophilic group onto the surface of CNT. This study reports a comparative analysis on the dispersion of CNT in water using three surfactants SDBS, SDS, and GA. The CNT nanofluids were prepared under dynamic condition. Dispersion of CNT has been characterized with the help of UV-vis spectroscopy. An optimum Surfactant/CNTs ratio has been determined for each surfactant. This parameter has been shown to affect the dispersion of CNT in aqueous basefluid significantly. The ratio above or below the optimum Surfactant/CNTs ratio effects the dispersion of CNT adversely. To analyze stability, the prepared CNT nanofluids were kept under static condition and observed visually.