Analysis of conduction currents in nanofluids

We have compared the DC conduction of a nanofluid based on mineral oil and magnetite nanoparticles with that of the base mineral oil using a point/plane electrode configuration. The results show that the nanofluid has higher conduction currents and that transition from ohmic to tunneling-controlled conduction occurs at higher fields. This latter evidence might explain why nanofluids improve partial discharge inception voltage under AC conditions. After some tests we observed that the nanofluid is not stable under DC: the nanoparticles are separated from the base fluid by coulombic forces and dielectrophoresis.