Effect of Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) Nanoparticle Concentration on the Thermal Conductivity and Stability of Water-Ethylene Glycol Nanofluids

Authors

  • Aishath Hamna Hassan Faculty of Applied Sciences, UCSI University, 1 Jalan UCSI, UCSI Heights (Taman Connaught), Cheras 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Author
  • Nur Asyiqin Azman Center of Defense Foundation Studies, National Defence University of Malaysia, Sg. Besi Camp, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Author
  • Nor Ain Azeany Mohd Nasir Center of Defense Foundation Studies, National Defence University of Malaysia, Sg. Besi Camp, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Author
  • Mohd Nurazzi Norizan Bioresource Technology Division, School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang 11800, Malaysia Author
  • Nor Laili-Azua Jamari Center of Defense Foundation Studies, National Defence University of Malaysia, Sg. Besi Camp, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Author
  • Noor Aisyah Ahmad Syah Center of Defense Foundation Studies, National Defence University of Malaysia, Sg. Besi Camp, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Author
  • Siti Aminah Mohd Noor Center of Defense Foundation Studies, National Defence University of Malaysia, Sg. Besi Camp, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Author
  • Norli Abdullah Center of Defense Foundation Studies, National Defence University of Malaysia, Sg. Besi Camp, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Author
  • Yuvaneswari Chandramoulee Swaran Faculty of Applied Sciences, UCSI University, 1 Jalan UCSI, UCSI Heights (Taman Connaught), Cheras 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.66514/ssst34-2-98-116

Abstract

Nanofluids have attracted considerable attention for their potential use as advanced heat transfer media in various cooling applications. This study investigates the effect of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticle concentration on the thermal conductivity and stability of nanofluids. Five concentrations of TiO2 nanofluids were prepared using water-ethylene glycol (60:40) as a base fluid and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as the surfactant. The TiO2 nanoparticles were characterized by ATR-FTIR, FESEM and EDX. Thermal conductivity measurements were carried out at room temperature (28 oC) and elevated temperature (e.g. 40 °C and 60 °C). The stability of the nanofluids was evaluated through visual inspection, UV-Vis spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering analysis. The TiO2 nanoparticles displayed spherical shape and tend to form clusters with an average particle diameter of approximately 30 nm. The 0.5 wt.% nanofluid achieved the greatest thermal conductivity value of 0.748 W/m·K resulting in 49.89% thermal conductivity enhancement at 60 °C. Freshly prepared nanofluids exhibited good dispersion stability and reduced when left undisturbed for extended period. Further improvements in long term stability are required for industrial applications.

References

[1] Rahman MA, Hasnain SMM, Pandey S, Tapalova A, Akylbekov N, Zairov R. Review on Nanofluids: Preparation, Properties, Stability and Thermal Performance Augmentation in Heat Transfer Applications. ACS Omega 2024;9:32328–49. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.4c03279

[2] Abbas F, Ali HM, Shah TR, Babar H, Janjua MM, Sajjad U, et al. Nanofluid: Potential evaluation in automotive radiator. Journal of Molecular Liquids 2020;297:112014. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.MOLLIQ.2019.112014

[3] Kavitha R, Ravi S, Ladu NSD. Competitive roles of plasticity, elasticity, and radiation in heat/mass transfer of Casson–Williamson–Maxwell nanofluid over a porous stretching sheet. Discover Nano 2026;21:229. https://doi.org/10.1186/s11671-026-04654-y

[4] Sofiah AGN, Samykano M, Pandey AK, Kadirgama K, Sharma K, Saidur R. Immense impact from small particles: Review on stability and thermophysical properties of nanofluids. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments 2021;48:101635. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seta.2021.101635

[5] Pusat S, Karagöz Y, Attar A, Karagoz S. A study of TiO2-enhanced nanofluids in internal combustion engines using neural networks. Scientific Reports 2024;14(1):19251. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-68701-3

[6] Erkan A, Tüccar G, Tosun E, Özgür T. Comparison of effects of nanofluid utilization (Al2O3, SiO2, TiO2) with reference water in automotive radiators on exergetic properties of diesel engines. SN Applied Sciences 2021;3(3):365. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-021-04368-z

[7] Hsu CY, Mahmoud ZH, Abdullaev S, Ali FK, Ali Naeem Y, Mzahim Mizher R, et al. Nano titanium oxide (nano-TiO2): A review of synthesis methods, properties, and applications. Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering 2024;9:100626. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.CSCEE.2024.100626

[8] Ahmed SA, Ozkaymak M, Sözen A, Menlik T, Fahed A. Improving car radiator performance by using TiO2-water nanofluid. Engineering Science and Technology, an International Journal 2018;21:996–1005. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JESTCH.2018.07.008

[9] Chandoliya R, Sharma S, Sharma V, Joshi R, Sivanesan I. Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticle: A Comprehensive Review on Synthesis, Applications and Toxicity. Plants 2024;13(21):2964. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13212964

[10] Ramadhan AI, Azmi WH, Mamat R. Heat transfer characteristics of car radiator using tri-hybrid nanocoolant. IOP Conf. Ser. Mater. Sci. Eng., vol. 863, Institute of Physics Publishing; 2020;863(1):012054. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/863/1/012054

[11] Zubair MM, Seraj M, Faizan M, Anas M, Yahya SM. Experimental study on heat transfer of an engine radiator with TiO2/EG-water nano-coolant. SN Applied Sciences 2021;3(4):333. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-021-04441-7

[12] Guerrero EE, Portilla ÁA, Pontón PI. The effect of TiO2/ethylene glycol-based nanocoolant on the pollutant emissions from a diesel passenger van at Quito ambient conditions. Materials Today Proceedings 2022;49:129–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.MATPR.2021.07.483

[13] Hilmin MNHM, Remeli MF, Singh B, Affandi NDN. Thermoelectric power generations from vehicle exhaust gas with TiO2 nanofluid cooling. Thermal Science and Engineering Progress 2020;18:100558. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TSEP.2020.100558

[14] Senejani AK, Mehdipour R. Investigating the effect of nanofluids of aluminum oxide and titanium dioxide on the heat transfer of the engine cooling coil by considering the boiling phenomenon. Heat Transfer 2020;49:2868–86. https://doi.org/10.1002/htj.21750

[15] Nieh HM, Teng TP, Yu CC. Enhanced heat dissipation of a radiator using oxide nano-coolant. International Journal of Thermal Sciences 2014;77:252–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IJTHERMALSCI.2013.11.008

[16] Saidi NM, Abdullah N, Norizan MN, Janudin N, Mohd Kasim NA, Osman MJ, et al. Surface-Oxidised Carbon Nanofibre-Based Nanofluids: Structural, Morphological, Stability and Thermal Properties. Nanomaterials 2022;12(21):3922. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12213922

[17] Wu J, Li Z, Jian W, Ma D. Experimental Investigation into Stability, Heat Transfer, and Flow Characteristics of TiO2-SiO2 Hybrid Nanofluids Under Multiple Influencing Factors. Nanomaterials 2026;16(6):359. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano16060359

[18] Al-Darkazali WN, Hamood SS, Aldaher N, Harbi NS. Studying the effect of using metal oxide nanofluids on the performance of a single-tube heat exchanger. Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry 2025;53(3):100497. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cjac.2025.100497

[19] Surakasi R, Sripathi S, Nadimpalli SP, Afzal S, Singh B, Tripathi M, et al. Synthesis and Characterization of TiO2-Water Nanofluids. Adsorption Science and Technology 2022;2022:3286624:1–9. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/3286624

[20] Praveen P, Viruthagiri G, Mugundan S, Shanmugam N. Structural, optical and morphological analyses of pristine titanium di-oxide nanoparticles - Synthesized via sol-gel route. Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy 2014;117:622–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.saa.2013.09.037

[21] Lal M, Sharma P, Ram C. Synthesis and photocatalytic potential of Nd-doped TiO2 under UV and solar light irradiation using a sol-gel ultrasonication method. Results in Materials 2022;15:100308. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rinma.2022.100308

[22] Miseo E V, Larkin Peter J. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) Diamond Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) Measurements: The Good, the Bad, and the (Really) Ugly. Applied Spectroscopy Practica 2025;3:27551857251336264. https://doi.org/10.1177/27551857251336262

[23] Razzaq I, Xinhua W, Rasool G, Sun T, Shflot AS, Malik MY, et al. Nanofluids for Advanced Applications: A Comprehensive Review on Preparation Methods, Properties, and Environmental Impact. ACS Omega 2025;10:5251–82. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.4c10143

[24] Heshmatian S, Aligholami M, Shafiei S, Madiba IG, Azizi S, Hussein AA, et al. Size effect on thermal conductivity and stability of TiO2/MWCNT-based hybrid nanofluids synthesized via probe ultrasonication. RSC Advances 2025;15(46):37939-53. https://doi.org/10.1039/d5ra06184a

[25] Ulhakim MT, Sukarman, Khoirudin, Nazar Fazrin, Tomas Irfani, Amri Abdulah. The Qualitative Stability and Thermal Properties Investigation of TiO2-EG/W Nanofluids Through Experimental Validation. Jurnal Asiimetrik: Jurnal Ilmiah Rekayasa & Inovasi 2024:143–52. https://doi.org/10.35814/asiimetrik.v6i1.5882

[26] Nanan K, Chuwattanakul V, Pramuanjaroenkij A, Eiamsa-Ard S. Effect of a TiO2/Water Nanofluid on the Thermal Cooling of a Central Processing Unit. Chemical Engineering Transactions 2024;109:595–600. https://doi.org/10.3303/CET24109100

[27] Induranga A, Galpaya C, Vithanage V, Koswattage KR. Thermal Properties of TiO2 Nanoparticle-Treated Transformer Oil and Coconut Oil. Energies (Basel) 2024;17(1):49. https://doi.org/10.3390/en17010049

[28] Ramadhan AI, Azmi WH, Mamat R, Hamid KA, Norsakinah S. Investigation on stability of tri-hybrid nanofluids in water-ethylene glycol mixture. IOP Conference Series Materials Science and Engineering vol. 469, 2019;469(1):012068. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/469/1/012068

[29] Ghamarpoor R, Fallah A, Jamshidi M. Investigating the use of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles on the amount of protection against UV irradiation. Scientific Reports 2023;13(1):10057. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-37057-5

[30] Nugroho A, Bo Z, Mamat R, Puranto P, Ghazali MF, Supriyatna YI, et al. Optimization and stability analysis of TiO₂-palm olein nano-biolubricants using one-factor-at-a-time. Journal of Molecular Liquids 2025;438. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2025.128525

[31] Izzati N, Rafaizul AM, Afzanizam M, Rosli M, Norizan MN, Aisyah N, et al. Effect of Mechanical Technique on the Stability and Thermal Conductivity of MgO/Commercial Coolant-Based Nanofluid. Solid State Science and Technology 2025;33:162–78.

[32] Johnson L, Gray DM, Niezabitowska E, McDonald TO. Multi-stimuli-responsive aggregation of nanoparticles driven by the manipulation of colloidal stability. Nanoscale 2021;13(18):8345-78. https://doi.org/10.1039/d1nr01190a

[33] Tofan G, Ţugui AC, Atanase L, Bejan D, Minea AA. Experimental Investigation of Surfactant Addition Influence on the Properties of Titanium Oxide Water Nanofluid. International Journal of Thermophysics 2026;47(3)47. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10765-026-03747-1

[34] Mancardi G, Alberghini M, Aguilera-Porta N, Calatayud M, Asinari P, Chiavazzo E. Multi-Scale Modelling of Aggregation of TiO2 Nanoparticle Suspensions in Water. Nanomaterials 2022;12. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12020217

Downloads

Published

14-10-2026