In earlier studies, much research has focused on increasing the efficiency of heat exchanger fields. Therefore, in this study, graphene nanofluid was fabricated for use as a heat transfer medium for a heat exchanger. Graphene has excellent electrical conductivity, mechanical properties, and heat transfer properties. It is expected that the heat transfer efficiency will be improved by fabricating the nanofluid. However, graphene is prone to sedimentation, because of its cohesion due to van der Waals binding force. In this experiment, a nanofluid was fabricated with enhanced dispersibility by surfactant and the ball-milling process. The zeta potential, absorbance, and thermal conductivity of the nanofluid were measured. As a result, when using the ratio of 2:1 (graphene:sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)), a higher thermal conductivity was obtained than in other conditions.
Keywords: dispersibility; graphene; nanofluid; surfactant; thermal conductivity; zeta potential.