Investigation of time–temperature dependency of heat capacity enhancement in molten salt nanofluids

Abstract

In this study, the time–temperature dependency of heat capacity enhancement in molten salt nanofluids was studied experimentally. The result shows the heat capacity enhancement is directly related to the time-dependent synthesis process. Various samples of a binary salt mixture of Li₂CO₃–K₂CO₃ doped with 1% Al₂O₃ were prepared by heating and cooling at different rates (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 °C min⁻¹) along with the pure binary salt mixture. The samples were then tested for heat capacity using a differential scanning calorimeter. It was found that heat capacity enhancement in molten salt nanofluids depends on the heating and cooling rates during the synthesis. Recent studies have shown that the heat capacity enhancement observed could be due to the formation of dendritic structures. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and a pH variation method were employed to confirm the presence of dendritic nanostructures.