Effect of Temperature, Concentration and Aggregation on the Rheological Behavior of ZrO2 – Avocado Oil Nanolubricant

The paper investigates the effect of dispersed ZrO2 nanoparticles on the rheological behavior of avocado oil. ZrO2 nanoparticles are added in three weight percentages and their effect on viscosity is measured on Anton par's MCR 102 in accordance with DIN EN ISO 3219 international standard. The shear rates and temperatures are varied from 500 - 4000 s-1 and 40-100 OC respectively. The effect of low temperatures (20 OC to -20 OC) on the viscosity of oil is also evaluated designating the pour point and cloud point of the avocado oil. The addition of nanoparticles increases the viscosity of avocado oil and preserves the Newtonian behavior of oil at all particle fractions and temperatures. The Newtonian behavior of avocado oil and the nanolubricants are quantified by the Ostwald-e-Waale power law equation. The measured values of viscosity are correlated with the existing theoretical viscosity models and a disagreement between the two is observed.