Optimization of the Experimental Conditions for the Stability of Nanofluids Using Box-Behnken Design

Nanofluids were prepared by a new approach combining dispersion method with Box-Behnken design which is a response surface methodology. The aim of this paper was to investigate the simultaneous effects of percentage share of alumina (0.01 vol.%-0.1 vol.%), the magnetic stirring time (0-60 min), the ultrasonic vibration time (0-120 min) and their interactions on the stability time of the nanofluids. With a survey on the experiment data and regression analysis of the data showing, a mathematical model was established for optimizing the experimental conditions for the stability of nanofluids. Meanwhile, visual observation and particle size measurement were performed to evaluate the dispersion stability. Finally, the optimal experiment conditions were found: the percentage share of alumina was 0.01 vol.%, the ultrasonic vibration time and the magnetic stirring time were 94.71 min, 41.28 min respectively. Under the optimal conditions, the predicted stability time was 29.3 days, the result of experiment was 30 days correspondingly, which suggested the model was very good.