| Several binary mixtures of Zinc Chloride (ZnCl2) and high heat-treated carbon nanofiber (HHTCNF) have been tested for their thermal properties using various methods. The methods used to test the thermal properties were; KD2-Pro thermal properties analyzer [1], discharge testing, Parallel Plate Device, and Differential Scanning Calorimetry. Mixtures of 0.0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5% and 2.0%wt HHTCNF were tested and analyzed. With respect to increasing weight percentage of HHTCNF, the thermal conductivity was found to increase linearly. The 0.0%, 0.5%, and 2.0% thermal conductivities were found to be 0.6326, 0.6743, and 0.7670 W/m-K respectively. It was found that higher weight percentages of HHTCNF in the ZnCl2 increased the rate of discharge. The differential scanning calorimetry had mixed results for modified melting point temperatures and overall did not result in useful data. The parallel plate device proved to be difficult to calibrate, and useful results could not be obtained before the conclusion of this study. It was ultimately found that the use of CNF as a nano enhancement is an effective technique at increasing the thermal conductivity of ZnCl2 at small weight percentages. |
