Fabrication and Characterization of Nanocarbon-Based Nanofluids by Using an Oxygen–Acetylene Flame Synthesis System

Abstract

Abstract In this study, an oxygen–acetylene flame synthesis system was developed to fabricate nanocarbon-based nanofluids (NCBNFs) through a one-step synthesis method. Measured in liters per minute (LPM), the flame’s fuel flows combined oxygen and acetylene at four ratios: 1.5/2.5 (P1), 1.0/2.5 (P2), 0.5/2.5 (P3), and 0/2.5 (P4). The flow rate of cooling water (base fluid) was fixed at 1.2 LPM to produce different nanocarbon-based materials (NCBMs) and various concentrations of NCBNFs. Tests and analyses were conducted for determining the morphology of NCBMs, NCBM material, optical characteristics, the production rate, suspension performance, average particle size, zeta potential, and other relevant basic characteristics of NCBNFs to understand the characteristics and materials of NCBNFs produced through different process parameters (P1–P4). The results revealed that the NCBMs mainly had flaky and spherical morphologies and the diameters of the spherical NCBMs measured approximately 20–30 nm. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy revealed that the NCBMs contained graphene oxide (GO) and amorphous carbon (AC) when the oxygen flow rate was lower than 1.0 LPM. In addition, the NCBMs contained reduced GO, crystalline graphite (graphite-2H), and AC when the oxygen flow rate was higher than 1.0 LPM. The process parameters of P1, P2, P3, and P4 resulted in NCBMs produced at concentrations of 0.010, 0.013, 0.040, and 0.023 wt%, respectively, in NCBNFs. All the NCBNFs exhibited non-Newtonian and shear-thinning rheological properties. The P4 ratio showed the highest enhancement rate of thermal conductivity for NCBNFs, at a rate 4.85 % higher than that of water.