Synthesis and thermal characterization of phase-changeable indium/polyalphaolefin nanofluids

Previous research on nanofluids has primarily focused on how to increase thermal conductivity of the fluids. Here, the use of phase change materials as nanoparticles in nanofluids has been proposed to simultaneously enhance the effective thermal conductivity and specific heat of the fluids. As an example, a suspension of indium nanoparticles (melting temperature, 157°C) in polyalphaolefin has been synthesized using a one-step, nanoemulsification method. The fluid’s thermophysical properties, i.e., thermal conductivity, viscosity, and specific heat, and their temperature dependence have been investigated experimentally. The observed melting-freezing phase transition of the indium nanoparticles would considerably augment the fluid’s effective specific heat.