Effect of Temperature and Concentration on the Molecular Interactions of Cu/ZnO-EG Nanofluids Using Ultrasonic Study

In this work, ultrasonic properties of copper (Cu) doped zinc oxide (ZnO) nanofluids are reported. Cu doped ZnO nanoparticles are synthesized by chemical precipitation method. The synthesized nanoparticles are characterized by X-ray powder diffractometry (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to find the crystallinity and surface morphology of the nanoparticles. Nanofluids are prepared by the dispersion of nanoparticles in ethylene glycol through the aid of ultrasonication. Ultrasonic studies are carried out for six different concentrations of nanofluids at 298 K, 303 K, 308 K, 313 K and 318 K. The acoustical parameters such as adiabatic compressibility, intermolecular free length and acoustic impedance are calculated from the experimental data. The intermolecular interactions responsible for the changes in acoustical parameters with respect to concentration and temperature are discussed.