The pyrolysis of waste lignocellulosic biomass is an effective route for solid waste management and valorization, producing py-gas, bio-oil, and biochar. Traditionally, research has focused on bio-oil production, but recent attention has shifted to upgrading noncondensable pyrolysis gas by increasing hydrogen (H2) and reducing carbon dioxide (CO2). In this study, the authors report a patented modified pyrolysis (MP) process for converting waste Erythrina indica (known as Indian coral tree) biomass at 600-800 degrees C for 2 h using Ni/Al2O3 and zeolite Y-hydrogen catalysts. Noncatalytic and catalytic experiments were performed in both closed and continuous-open modes. Under catalytic conditions, continuous-open mode operation produced higher H2 and lower CO2 than the closed mode at 700 and 800 degrees C, so MP experiments were conducted in continuous-open modes. The py-gas composition was measured at 0, 1, and 2 h after reaching the pyrolysis temperature. The process generated gases containing a high vol % of H2 with moderate vol % of CH4 and CO, and a negligible vol % of CO2, demonstrating the production of a highly combustible gas with minimal or negligible CO2. The best case (MP05) achieved approximately 53 vol % H2 with zero CO2, and the corresponding product yields were approximately 35 wt % bio-oil, 22 wt % biochar, and 43 wt % py-gas using the Ni/Al2O3 catalyst. Overall, MP using Ni/Al2O3 at 800 degrees C for 1 h maximized H2 with near-zero CO2, producing a high heating value gas (approximately 16,000 kJ/Nm3).

Thermal degradation of lignocellulosic biomass waste, under oxygen-deprived conditions, produce biochar which is a carbon-rich solid product suitable for several applications. Its quantity and quality depend on several parameters; a few important ones are the type of biomass, reaction temperature, and time. In this study, effects of temperature and reaction time on pyrolysis of Erythrina indica (EI) biomass were examined in a tubular reactor at temperatures of 400–700 °C and reaction times of 60–120 min. The resulting pyrolytic products, especially biochar, underwent a comprehensive characterization employing advanced analytical techniques. The results revealed a clear dependence of product yield and quality on pyrolysis temperature and reaction duration. The surface morphology of fibrous lignocellulosic biomass transformed from compact to a porous biochar structure during pyrolysis. The experimental BET analysis showed that maximum surface area (250.76 m²/g) biochar obtained at 500 °C for 60 min, while XRD indicated partial graphitization at higher pyrolysis temperatures. The bio-oil exhibited acidic characteristics (pH = 3.2–4.4) and a maximum HHV is obtained at 500 °C for 90 min. The regression model was used to explore the combined effects of process variables, and pyrolysis conditions corresponding to maximum response within the experimental domain were identified. These were 506 °C and 60 min. producing 48.35 wt

Electrochemical conversion of CO2 into value-added chemicals offers a clean pathway to utilize greenhouse gases along with the production of useful products. In this study, we aim to unravel a comprehensive reaction mechanism for the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) into various C1-based products such as CO, HCOOH, CH2O, CH3OH, and CH4 using density functional theory (DFT). We analyse all possible reaction pathways and compute their thermodynamics on a novel two-dimensional catalyst system - two monovacant (adjacent-vacant) graphene sheet modified with two Ru atoms, referred to as 2MV-Ru2. Our reaction mechanism investigation identified the potential-determining step (PDS) as CO* -> CHO*, which demands a limiting potential of -0.88 V vs. SHE (standard hydrogen electrode) for the production of methane. We also examined the PDS on a series of bimetallic electrodes, generally referred to as 2MV-RuM (M = Ag, Au, Cu, Ir, Os, Pd, Pt, and Rh). We found the 2MV-RuPd electrode as the most effective catalyst for methane production as it lowered the limiting potential of PDS to only -0.13 V vs. SHE, which is a remarkable improvement over both 2MV-Ru2 and conventional metallic electrodes. To supplement the thermodynamics, we also integrated kinetic analyses for the PDS to provide a more inclusive understanding of the reaction, which demonstrated the excellent capability of 2MV-RuPd electrode compared to 2MV-Ru2. Finally, we examined the stability of all bimetallic electrodes to ensure their practical applicability, and obtained favourable formation free energies, which advocate that these electrodes are not only theoretically feasible but also experimentally synthesizable. Overall, our study offers a rigorous analysis of the CO2RR on Ru-based adjacent-vacant (bimetallic) graphene catalysts. Superior thermodynamics and kinetics were demonstrated by the 2MV-RuPd electrode, thereby establishing it as a highly promising candidate for methane production. This work advances the understanding of CO2RR mechanisms along with providing a robust foundation for developing next-generation catalysts for sustainable chemical synthesis.

The hydrodynamics of the three-phase system in an ebullated bed reactor (EBR) is investigated using computational fluid dynamics and compared with that in a fluidized bed reactor (FBR). For consistency in the comparison, the two reactors have the same dimensions (2.20 m length and 0.172 m diameter), except that there is no recirculation column in the FBR, and the same superficial velocities of liquid phase (0.057 and 0.095 m/s) and gas phase (0.04, 0.08, 0.12 m/s), particle diameter (300 μm), initial solids volume fraction of the bed (0.5), and initial packing height (0.3 m). It is found that the expansion of the bed is greater in the EBR than in the FBR under identical conditions of low liquid superficial velocity. In the FBR, the larger size of the voids formed in the expanded region causes decreased interactions between the three phases, whereas in the EBR, smaller voids are formed at lower simulation times, whereas slugs are formed at longer times. In addition, early stability of bed expansion is attained at lower gas superficial velocities, irrespective of the value of the liquid superficial velocity. In the EBR, there is no symmetry of bed expansion on each side of the recirculation pipe even at low liquid superficial velocities. It is found that at 0.5 m bed height, the radial distributions of gas, liquid, and solids indicate a more uniform and better distribution of the three phases in the EBR. The local solids fraction distribution along the radial position indicates that in the EBR, for most of combinations of gas and liquid superficial velocities, the solids fraction is properly distributed and that it is even more uniform for the combination of a higher liquid and lower gas superficial velocity.

Electrochemical conversion of CO2 into value-added chemicals offers a clean pathway to utilize greenhouse gases along with the production of useful products. In this study, we aim to unravel a...

The waste from Delonix regia plant was used as potential feedstock and its non-catalytic hydrosolvolysis using methanol solvent was carried out in a batch-type autoclave reactor under a hydrogen environment at moderate pressure and temperature conditions (180 degrees C, 200 degrees C and 250 degrees C). The key findings revealed that 200 degrees C is the optimal temperature, producing biocrude with a yield of 40.60 wt% and a higher heating value (HHV) of 25.3 MJ/kg. The present results are compared and found to be better than some of existing literature counterparts on non-catalytic hydrosolvolysis of other biomass feedstock. The biocrude comprised of phenolic compounds, esters, furan derivatives, methoxy compounds and alcohols. Biochar exhibited enhanced carbon content and reduced oxygen compared to raw biomass. Notably, the hydro-treatment process at these mild conditions outperformed non-catalytic and hydro-catalytic pyrolysis at a greater temperature of 600 degrees C in terms of fuel and physical properties of the liquid product. Thus, the present findings highlight the effectiveness of this process in enhancing the biocrude quality under mild conditions of temperature and hydrogen pressure.

This work described results based on five iso-conversional methods used to investigate the kinetic triplets of Erythrina indica (EI) biomass pyrolysis by adopting thermogravimetric experimental data at four different heating rates. The kinetic plots generated by all the methods demonstrated a robust correlation with R^2 values exceeding 0.98, signifying a high level of agreement. The average values of activation energy and pre-exponential factor were 176.861 - 184.787 kJ mol^-1 and 2.680 × 1017 - 1.038 × 1022 min^-1 , respectively. The determination of the reaction mechanisms was also carried out using the integral form of the master plot and Criado's master plot methods. Both methods revealed that the process involved a combination of various reaction models for the breakdown mechanisms of the constituents of feedstock. Additionally, thermodynamic feasibility of EI pyrolysis process was also carried out. The average values of change in enthalpy, change in Gibbs free energy and change in entropy spanned from 171.781 to 179.890 kJ mol^-1 , 168.191–170.083 kJ mol^-1 and 0.003–0.019 kJ mol^-1K^-1 , respectively. In summary, the difference between activation energy and change in enthalpy of EI pyrolysis process was small; and individual thermodynamic properties, i.e., changes in enthalpy, changes in entropy and changes in Gibbs free energy, were positive. Thus, the pyrolysis of EI biomass is feasible only at high temperatures; however, the use of an appropriate catalyst may reduce the severity of feasibility temperature.

In this study, authors utilized biochar from pyrolysis of Delonix regia (DR) and activated it using various chemical activation methods. The activating agents selected for this study were a base (KOH), an acid (H3PO4) and a salt (ZnCl2). This activated biochar was characterized and it was observed that H3PO4 activation resulted in highest surface area (similar to 50 times increase in area compared to non-activated raw biochar). The application of these activated biochar as a catalyst were tested during solvolysis of the same DR biomass. The liquefaction experiments were conducted at 250 degrees C with pressure of 93 bar for both catalytic and non-catalytic cases using methanol as solvent. The results from these experiments were compared with those obtained by liquefaction using an inorganic Ni/gamma-Al2O3 catalyst. Analysis of the biocrude by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) indicated the presence of alkanes, amines, alcohols, and aromatics in biocrude. Higher heating value (HHV) of biocrude from catalytic liquefaction was superior to that obtained from non-catalytic solvolysis of DR biomass. The biochar obtained from liquefaction also depicted high carbon content and maximum HHV of 24.50 MJ/kg. The results of all catalytic liquefaction experiments were superior to non-catalytic ones in terms of yield and HHV of biocrude. Liquefaction with H3PO4 activated biochar gave best results in terms of yield of biocrude (28.39 wt%) and HHV (23.89 MJ/kg). Thus, it was reported that activated biochar had potential to be used as a catalyst in liquefaction.

Co-feed pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass blend presents an intriguing approach to enhance the quantity and quality of pyrolysis products. The approach seeks to leverage the versatility of pyrolysis process and contribute to the advancement of sustainable fuels. In this study, the kinetic triplets and thermodynamics of co-pyrolysis of Modar (Erythrina indica L.) (EI) and Mahaneem (Azadirachta indica A.) (AI) were evaluated at seven varying cofeed ratios (1 : 1; 1 : 2; 1 : 3; 1 : 4; 2 : 1; 3 : 1 and 4 : 1). For this purpose, thermogravimetric study of the cofeeds were carried out at heating rates of 10, 20, 30 and 40 degrees C/min and this data was further utilized as input for five different iso-conversional methods used to estimate kinetics of the process. Results revealed that the cofeed ratio of 4:1 necessitates the maximum activation energy for its co-pyrolysis, whereas 2:1 ratio demands the minimum. However, considering R2 values, the co-feed ratio of 1:1 emerges out to be the preferable choice for its co-pyrolysis, displaying relatively low activation energy requirements for its co-pyrolysis and consistently high R2 values exceeding 0.99 across all values of the conversion. Average activation energy (Ea) and pre-exponential factor (ko) values for the pyrolysis of co-feed ratio of 1:1 ranged from 169.643-179.808 kJ/mol and 1.272 x 1013 - 5.898 x 1016 min- 1, respectively. Correspondingly, the average values of thermodynamic properties, including enthalpy change (DH), Gibbs free energy change (DG), and entropy change (DS) varied in the range of 164.421 - 174.819 kJ/mol, 173.425 - 175.288 kJ/mol and - 0.017 - 0.002 kJ/mol K, respectively. In summary, though the difference between average Ea and DH is only ti 5 kJ/mol; positive DH, positive DG and positive DS indicate that the co-pyrolysis of EI and AI is possible only at high temperatures.

The kinetics and thermodynamics of co-pyrolysis of Polyalthia longifolia leaves (PL) and polypropylene grocery bags (PP) were developed through thermogravimetric analyses at four different heating rates. Differential thermogravimetric curves were deconvoluted into three pseudo-components (hemicellulose, cellulose, and a combined lignin-PP) using Fraser-Suzuki function. Activation energies for pyrolysis of each pseudo-component were determined using five isoconversional methods, yielding averages of 162.24-183.11 kJ/mol (hemicellulose), 166.45-198.42 kJ/mol (cellulose), and 204.08-219.67 kJ/mol (lignin & PP). Differential Friedman method indicated a positive synergistic effect, highlighting enhanced interactions between PL and PP. Thermodynamic analysis showed that external energy is required to form active complexes for all components. Criado's method suggested a complex reaction mechanism, while master plots based on integral form of kinetic data revealed that hemicellulose, lignin, and PP thermal degradation followed A2 model, with cellulose degradation following both A2 and A3 models. This study further developed rate equations for single and co-feed pyrolysis of PL and PP, providing valuable insights for process optimization.

The pyrolysis process, which involves the transformation of biomass into valuable products like bio-oil, biochar, and non-condensable gases, is a crucial aspect of biomass waste utilization. Gaining an insight into the kinetics and thermodynamics involved in this process is paramount for enhancing its efficiency. This research employs iso-conversional methods to study the kinetics of non-catalytic and catalytic pyrolysis of Erythrina indica (EI) biomass at four different heating rates followed by thermodynamic feasibility. The catalytic pyrolysis of biomass was studied using 10 wt. % of catalysts such as biochar (obtained by non-catalytic pyrolysis of EI at 800 °C for 2 h), nickel, and titanium dioxide for each case to evaluate their effects on kinetics and thermodynamics. The iso-conversional methods include the differential Friedman method, Ozawa–Flynn–Wall, Kissinger–Akharia–Sunose, distributed activation energy model, and Starink. All kinetic models showed strong agreement (R2 > 0.96). The reaction models were also evaluated using the integral form of the master plots and were compared with those by Criado's master plots approach. Biochar catalyst exhibited the lowest activation energy requirements (155.924–162.846 kJ/mol), followed by titanium dioxide (160.231–167.924 kJ/mol) and nickel (172.125–176.482 kJ/mol), while non-catalytic pyrolysis required the highest energy (176.861–184.784 kJ/mol) for EI pyrolysis. Thermodynamic analysis revealed that biochar catalytic pyrolysis required the lowest enthalpy change (ΔH: 156–160 kJ/mol), followed by titanium dioxide (160–168 kJ/mol) and nickel (174–177 kJ/mol), all lower than non-catalytic pyrolysis (176–186 kJ/mol). The Gibbs free energy (ΔG) remained similar (170–175 kJ/mol) across all cases, indicating the conditional feasibility of pyrolysis regardless of the catalyst used. Finally, on the basis of master plots, suitable reaction models were proposed for catalytic pyrolysis of EI biomass.

PurposeThis study aims to minimize the pressure drop across wavy microchannels using secondary branches without compromising its capacity to transfer the heat. The impact of secondary flows on the pressure drop and heat transfer capabilities at different Reynolds numbers are investigated numerically for different wavy microchannels. Finally, different channels are evaluated using performance evaluation criteria to determine their effectiveness.Design/methodology/approachTo investigate the flow and heat transfer capabilities in wavy microchannels having secondary branches, a 3D conjugate heat transfer model based on finite volume method is used. In conventional wavy microchannel, secondary branches are introduced at crest and trough locations. For the numerical simulation, a single symmetrical channel is used to minimize computational time and resources and the flow within the channels remains single-phase and laminar.FindingsThe findings indicate that the suggested secondary channels notably improve heat transfer and decrease pressure drop within the channels. At lower flow rates, the secondary channels demonstrate superior performance in terms of heat transfer. However, the performance declines as the flow rate increased. With the same amplitude and wavelength, the introduction of secondary channels reduces the pressure drop compared with conventional wavy channels. Due to the presence of secondary channels, the flow splits from the main channel, and part of the core flow gets diverted into the secondary channel as the flow takes the path of minimum resistance. Due to this flow split, the core velocity is reduced. An increase in flow area helps in reducing pressure drop.Practical implicationsMany complex and intricate microchannels are proposed by the researchers to augment heat dissipation. There are challenges in the fabrication of microchannels, such as surface finish and achieving the required dimensions. However, due to the recent developments in metal additive manufacturing and microfabrication techniques, the complex shapes proposed in this paper are feasible to fabricate.Originality/valueWavy channels are widely used in heat transfer and micro-fluidics applications. The proposed wavy microchannels with secondary channels are different when compared to conventional wavy channels and can be used practically to solve thermal challenges. They help achieve a lower pressure drop in wavy microchannels without compromising heat transfer performance.

Exploring kinetics and thermodynamics of biomass pyrolysis process is imperative for optimizing the process. This study employs various model-free iso-conversional methods and a model-fitting method to investigate the kinetics and thermodynamics of non-isothermal pyrolysis of Azadirachta indica biomass under four distinct heating rates of 10, 20, 30 and 40 degrees C/min. Average values of activation energy and pre-exponential factor ranged from 187.613 to 196.635 kJ/mol and 5.068x1014 - 1.178x1022 min- 1, respectively, indicating an endothermic and complex nature of reaction. Integral master plots proved superior in revealing the reaction mechanism, although Criado's master plot unveiled a combination of reaction models, aligning with the intricate degradation mechanisms of biopolymers. The average enthalpy change, Gibbs free energy change and entropy change values spanned from 182.425 to 191.638 kJ/mol, from 167.288 to 173.742 kJ/mol and from 0.014 to 0.039 kJ/mol & sdot;K, respectively.

Co-feed pyrolysis is a thermochemical conversion process that entails the simultaneous or sequential decomposition of various feedstock in an oxygen-free environment, concurrently improving the quality of the end products. The technique is widely used to produce a range of valuable products, including biofuels, chemicals and biochar, capitalizing on the synergies between various feedstock. The current study focuses on the synergistic effects of co-feed pyrolysis of Erythrina indica (EI) and Azadirachta indica (AI) biomass at different co-feed ratios (EI:AI) of 1:4, 1:3, 1:2, 1:1, 2:1, 3:1 and 4:1 on weight basis. The reactions were carried out at a temperature of 600°C under a pressure of 1 bar using nitrogen as inert atmosphere. The bio-oil yield produced through the co-feed pyrolysis reactions ranged from 29.51 to 32.40% by weight, while the biochar and non-condensable gases yields ranged from 38.25 to 42.48% and 26.90 to 30.73% by weight, respectively. Positive synergistic effects of co-feed pyrolysis led to a notable enhancement in physicochemical properties of the fuel phase, especially by virtue of calorific value, density and presence of low mol. wt. components when compared to their individual counterparts. Specifically, the fuel phase obtained at 1:1 co-feed ratio exhibited the peak calorific value of 36.80 MJ/kg along with lowest density of 0.82 g/ml and pH of 3.58 which is the pinnacle accomplishment of this work; and comparable with commercial gasoline. Gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy of biofuels revealed alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, aromatics, esters, nitro compounds and organosilicons as their main compounds. Specific compounds, including cyclopentane, methyl-, 1-cyclohexyl-2-propen-1-ol and 1-pentene, 3-methyl, are the most significant compound at co-feed ratio of 1:1. Biochar produced at co-feed ratio of 1:1 also depicted excellent physiochemical properties with the highest elemental carbon of 79.23 wt. % and lowest oxygen and hydrogen contents of 18.489 wt. % and 2.280 wt. %, respectively with a maximum calorific value of 29.23 MJ/kg; which can be utilized as solid fuels. The biochar produced from the co-feed pyrolysis reactions also possesses highly porous structure which can be useful as a soil conditioner, carbon sequestration water filtration or wastewater treatment. Additionally, non-condensable gases composed of 7.45 vol. % hydrogen, 34.26 vol. % carbon monoxide, 21.32 vol. % methane and 36.97 vol. % carbon dioxide when co-feed ratio is 1:1.

A thermohydraulic performance investigation is performed on a minichannel heat sink with alternating straight and sinusoidal (semiwavy) profiles for different channel amplitudes (0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 mm). The study throws light on the performance of variable area minichannel heat sink combined with wall waviness. The effect of nanofluids as coolants for these channels is also investigated. Water–ethylene glycol, 0.4 and 1

The primary focus of the twenty-first century has been on developing new and cleaner fuels from renewable sources. The increasing availability of renewable energy sources in environment, such as lignocellulosic biomass derived from agricultural and forest residues, has created a plethora of opportunities for biofuel production. For this purpose, the search for appropriate waste biomass source and the design of suitable reactors are very essential, where the latter requires the knowledge of kinetic triplets. These requirements paved the way to the novelty of the present work as a selection of a rarely used biomass source, that is, Peltophorum pterocarpum, and its non-isothermal thermogravimetric analysis for the evaluation of kinetic triplet of the process. The range of temperature is 298-1173 K attained at heating rates of 10-55 K min(-1). Kinetics were estimated using differential Friedman method (DFM), distributed activation energy method (DAEM), Ozawa-Flynn-Wall (OFW), Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS), and Starink (STK) models. Mean activation energy (kJ mol(-1)) and pre-exponential factor (min(-1)) of pyrolysis process by five models were 183.68 and 1.24 x 10(17) for DAEM, 194.28 and 3.08 x 10(21) for DFM, 183.68 and 4.40 x 10(16) for KAS, 184.12 and 2.12 x 10(14) for OFW, and 183.93 and 3.56 x 10(16) for STK. Average values of changes in Gibbs free energy, enthalpy, and entropy by five models are 174 kJ mol(-1), 178 kJ mol(-1), and 0.007 kJ mol(-1) K-1, respectively. Criado's master plots revealed distinct reaction pathways during the process for different conversion levels.

In this paper, a novel composite phase change material (CPCM) is prepared with inorganic PCM through impregnation and dispersion method which can be used for thermal management applications. Inorganic PCMs have high latent heat and good thermal conductivity and are non-flammable, but there exist leakage (shape stability) and corrosion problems. To overcome these issues, a porous structured material is impregnated with the inorganic PCM (disodium hydrogen orthophosphate dodecahydrate). The CPCM is prepared by loading various wt

Microencapsulated phase change materials (MEPCMs) in minichannels have emerged as promising solutions for electronic cooling, offering efficient thermal management in compact spaces. The present work focuses on organic alcohol based microencapsulated phase change material slurries as heat transfer fluid in minichannels and the novel MEPCM is prepared with hybrid shell. The myristyl alcohol phase change material (MAL PCM) is microencapsulated with boron nitride/silica hybrid shell (MAL@BN/SiO2) 2 ) through sol-gel process. The morphology, phase change and thermal properties of the encapsulated samples are analyzed. The MAL@BN/ SiO2-2 2-2 exhibits good thermal stability and thermal conductivity. The working fluid is prepared with different weight percentage of MAL@BN/SiO2-2 2-2 along with water. Experimentation is carried out to examine the thermal performance and flow behavior of straight (CH-1), wavy (CH-2) and semi-wavy (CH-3) minichannels with different mass flow rates, heat inputs and working fluids. Results reveal that CH-1 with 0.1 % MAL@BN/SiO2-2 2-2 slurry exhibits higher Nusselt number (i.e., 15.51 %) than water for a Reynolds number of 623 with a heat input of 100 W. Similarly, the enhancement with CH-2 and CH-3 are respectively, 21.61 and 23.27%. The performance evaluation factor is maximum for CH-3 compared to other considered minichannels.

Citrus limetta or sweet lime is a widely consumed fruit worldwide. The wastes generated from their processing are enormous and are discarded without any value -addition. Biomass liquefaction in hydrogen -donor solvent is an effective thermochemical conversion technique to produce value added products such as biocrude and biochar from wet biomasses directly. Thus, liquefaction studies of Citrus limetta peel and pulp were conducted using solvent methanol at temperatures of 240 degrees C - 280 degrees C, 30 min residence time as well as 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4 ratios of biomass to solvent. The impact of temperature as well as biomass to solvent ratio on yield of biocrude and biochar were investigated herein. Biocrude produced from Citrus limetta peel at 240 degrees C and 1:3 ratio of biomass to solvent is maximum (12.5 wt. %). At reaction parameters of 280 degrees C and 1:4 ratio of biomass to solvent, biocrude from Citrus limetta pulp showed higher heating value of 27.18 MJ kg -1 which was the maximum obtained in this study. The gas -chromatography mass -spectrometry (GC -MS) indicated presence of alcohols, phenols, alkanes, ketones, ethers, esters and fatty acid methyl esters as major compounds. The characteristics and energy content of biochar demonstrated their potentiality for bioenergy applications.

An experimental investigation of thermal conductivity and viscosity of a new ternary nanofluid with four different mixing ratios and three different volume concentrations is conducted for different temperatures. Graphene nanoplatelets, copper oxide and alumina nanoparticles are used in the preparation of the ternary nanofluid with water-ethylene glycol mixture as the base fluid. The thermal conductivity results reveal the predominant contribution of graphene nanoplatelets in the particle mix. The maximum enhancement in thermal conductivity is found to be 19% at 0.5% volume concentration. Increasing the nanofluid concentration beyond 0.3% gives only a marginal enhancement in terms of figure of merit. Artificial neural network is also designed to predict the thermal conductivity and the viscosity. Seventy-eight sets of experimental data are utilised to build the ANN model and an overall regression data of 0.99496 is obtained indicating good agreement between the ANN model and the present experimental data.