Viscosity and thermal conductivity of dispersions of sub-micron TiO2 particles in water prepared by stirred bead milling and ultrasonication

Experiments were carried out on the preparation of dispersions of sub-micron TiO2 particles in water by stirred bead milling, for potential use as coolants. The prepared dispersions were characterized through the measurement of particle size distribution, zeta potential, viscosity and thermal conductivity. The effects of particle concentration (0.27–1.39 vol%), ultrasonication time (0–7 h) on viscosity and thermal conductivity have been studied. The effect of temperature (29–55 °C) on viscosity has also been investigated. The results indicate that the ultrasonication can be utilized to tailor the transport properties of the sub-micron dispersions produced by stirred bead milling. The entire particle size distribution data has been utilized to develop correlations for prediction of relative viscosity and thermal conductivity ratio of these dispersions. These dispersions possess higher thermal conductivity than water and can also be utilized as coolants.