Fabrication, characterization and corrosion inhibition properties of SCW-based ZnO nanofluids.

Nanofluids have demonstrated incredible potential for application in various industries such as coolants. Metal oxides are widely used as solid particles in formulations of nanofluids due to their advantages. Metal oxide-based nanoparticles (NPs), ZnO NPs were fabricated by the ultrasonically assisted co-precipitation method. The structure and morphology of the synthesized ZnO NPs were characterized using an array of analytical techniques including X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The XRD results showed that the purity of ZnO was obtained. The investigated nanofluids remained stable for a long time without substantial sedimentation. The present study deals with the corrosion assessment of St37 steel in nanofluids prepared with various concentrations of ZnO NPs. A scanning electron microscope coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy was used to determine the surface characteristics and elemental composition of low-carbon steel specimens both before and after corrosion tests. Notably, the nanofluid containing 0.05% by weight of ZnO nanoparticles demonstrated the highest corrosion prevention efficiency among the prepared nanofluids. Furthermore, impedance spectroscopy measurements revealed that the corrosion resistance increased by 72.9% for the nanofluid containing 0.05 wt% ZnO NPs compared to the base fluid. These findings highlight the potential of ZnO nanoparticles as an environmentally friendly anti-corrosion compound in cooling systems, effectively reducing corrosion degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]