Diamonds ‘can be used to create optimal thermal fluids for engineering’

A new US study has highlighted the potential engineering benefits offered by thermal fluids created using diamonds.

Scientists at Rice University have found that a mixture of diamond nanoparticles and mineral oil can easily outperform other types of fluid created for heat-transfer applications, including those containing higher amounts of oxide, nitride or carbide ceramics, metals, semiconductors, carbon nanotubes and other composite materials.

Thermal fluids are used to alleviate wear on components and tools in a wide range of applications, including medical therapy and diagnosis, biopharmaceuticals, air conditioning, fuel cells, power transmission systems, solar cells and cooling systems.

By mixing very low concentrations of diamond particles with mineral oil to test the nanofluid's thermal conductivity and how temperature would affect its viscosity, the team was able to create a substance that could be useful in applications where control of heat is vital.

Study leader Jaime Taha-Tijerina said: "We found we could combine very small amounts with conventional fluids and get extraordinary thermal transport without significant problems in viscosity."

The discovery was made by the university's Department of Materials Science and Nanoengineering, which was founded last year.