Quantitative stability analyses of multiwall carbon nanotube nanofluids following water/ice phase change cycling.

Multiwall carbon nanotube nanofluids are regularly investigated for phase change enhancement between liquid and solid states owing to their improved heat transfer properties. The potential applications are numerous, the most notable being latent heat thermal energy storage, but the success of all nanofluid-assisted technologies hinges greatly on the ability of nanoparticles to remain stably dispersed after repeated phase change cycles. In this report, the stability of aqueous nanofluids made from oxygen-functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes (f-MWCNTs) was profiled over the course of 20 freeze/thaw cycles.