,
Mohammad Zoynal Abedin*,
Samsul Islam,
Md. Jakir Hossen,
Jahirul Islam,
Ruman Uddin,
Abdul Ahad,
Md. Shah Mamunur Rashid,
Nurul Hoda Sanid,
Mohammad Monirul Kabir Mridha
Boiling heat transfer is an important thermal management mechanism in power generation, chemical processing, high-heat-flux electronics, refrigeration, nuclear reactors, and automotive systems because it enables large heat removal at comparatively small temperature differences. Nanofluids have emerged as promising working fluids for further improving boiling performance; however, published results remain highly scattered because critical heat flux and heat transfer coefficient depend simultaneously on nanoparticle composition, concentration, stability, surface condition, heater material, mass flux, pressure, vapor quality, and flow regime. This review addresses this gap by critically comparing experimental studies on nanofluid-enhanced pool and flow boiling and by organizing the available evidence according to working fluid, nanoparticle type, heater configuration, operating condition, HTC response, and CHF response. Al2O3 and TiO2 are the most extensively investigated nanoparticles, whereas CuO, SiO2, ZnO, Fe3O4, MgO, graphene oxide, carbon nanotubes, SiC, and graphite have also shown notable but condition-dependent performance. In pool boiling, reported CHF enhancements reach 200% for Al2O3 and TiO2, 117% for ZnO, 100% for Al2O3-TiO2 combinations, and 60% for SiO2, while HTC improvements include 43% for Fe3O4, 20 to 30% for CuO, 28.7% for carbon nanotubes, and 22% for ZnO. Additional studies report study-specific pool-boiling maxima of 145 to 245% in CHF for reduced-graphene-oxide/water and 75% in HTC for Al2O3/water on smooth surfaces. In flow boiling, CHF enhancements of 100% for graphene oxide, 70% for Al2O3, 35% for SiC, and 13% for Al2O3 Cu are reported, whereas HTC increases reach 126% for ZnO, 86% for Al2O3, 30% for CuO, 27.97% for TiO2, and 23.7% for MgO. The review shows that nanofluid boiling enhancement is governed by coupled fluid-surface-hydrodynamic interactions rather than thermal conductivity alone and identifies standardization, long-term stability, fouling, pressure-drop penalties, and predictive model validation as the principal unresolved challenges, requiring coordinated testing before reliable industrial implementation can be achieved across thermal systems and operating conditions.
| Published in | American Journal of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (Volume 11, Issue 4) |
| DOI | 10.11648/j.ajmie.20261104.11 |
| Page(s) | 57-80 |
| Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Science Publishing Group |
Nanofluids, Nanoparticle, Pool Boiling, Flow Boiling, Heat Transfer Enhancement, Surface Wettability, Critical Heat Flux, Nanoparticle Deposition, Surface Wettability
SL No. | Nanofluids | Heater Type | Observation | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nano-particles | Base Fluids | ||||
01. | Al2O3 | H2O | Copper plate | CHF enhancement reported up to approximately 200%; enhancement was not attributed solely to bulk thermal conductivity | [26] |
02. | TiO2 | Copper surface | CHF increased by a maximum of 38.2% | [54] | |
03. | Alumina | Copper plate | BHT enhanced between 11 and 21%. With rising particle concentration, BHT increased. | [55] | |
04. | Alumina | Copper plate | CHF Enhancement and HTC increased | [27] | |
05. | SiO2 | NiCr wire | CHF enhancement up to 60% | [28] | |
06. | Al2O3 | Stainless steel plate | CHF increased by about 40%. | [29] | |
07. | ZiO3 | Ethylene glycol | Cu plate | CHF Enhancement and HTC increased | [12] |
08. | Al2O3 | H2O | Stainless steel | BHT decreased. CHF increased up to 50%. | [19] |
09. | Al2O3 | 0.025vol.%, 50 nm | CHF of the nanofluid increased | [30] | |
10. | Cu | Stainless-steel plate | CHF Enhancement and deterioration | [31] | |
11. | TiO2 | NiCr wire | CHF increased up to 200% | [65] | |
12. | SiO2 | H2O | NiCr wire | Constant BHT. CHF increased up to 60% | [32] |
13. | Alumina | Cu plate | CHF Enhancement and HTC deterioration | [33] | |
14. | CNTs | H2O and R-22 | Stainless steel tube | HTC was observed to increase up to 28.7% at heat fluxes of fewer than 30 kW/m 2 | [63] |
15. | Al2O3 | H2O | Cu plate | CHF Enhancement | [66] |
16. | Al2O3 and TiO2 | H2O | NiCr wire | CHF increased up to 100% | [20] |
17. | ZnO | EG | 0.5 to 3.7 vol.% | HTC increased about 22% at a concentration of 1.6 %. Maximum enhancement of CHF was found to be 117% at φ=2.6 % | [79] |
18. | CuO | Pentane | 0.005% and 0.01% | HTC increased up to 20–30% for brass surface and 15–25% at the nanoparticle concentration of 0.005% | [24] |
19. | Fe3O4 | H2O | 0.1 vol.% | HTC increased up to 43% | [28] |
20. | WO3 | 0.005%, 0.01% vol. | HTC ratio was increased by about 6.7% | [80] | |
Sl No. | Nanofluids | Heater Type | Observation | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nano-particles | Base Fluids | ||||
01. | Metal Oxide | H2O | 0.2 wt. %, NP 40nm | HTC increased by 17% | [81] |
02. | Copper | 50 nm parallel mini channels of dh = 800 μm. | With increasing nanoparticle concentration, BHT enhanced. | [13] | |
03. | Al2O3 | Stainless steel | CHF enhancement 70% | [68] | |
04. | TiO2 | 0.001, 0.005 and 0.01wt.% | At a given mass flux, HTC increased up to 27.97%. | [44] | |
05. | Al2O3 | Cu tube | CHF enhancement | [14] | |
06. | TiO2 | Cu surface | Enhancement up to 15% | [34] | |
07. | ZnO | 0.0001-0.1vol.%; NPs, D-100 (30 to 50) nm | At higher concentration, HTC increased by 126%. | [69] | |
08. | Al2O3 | Cu tube | CHF enhancement 32% | [15] | |
09. | CuO | DI- H2O | 0.1 to 0.3 wt.% | HTC increased with the mass flow rate. | [36] |
10. | GO | H2O | 0.01 vol.% | CHF increased by about 100%. | [45] |
11. | Al2O3, Cu | Heated circular tube | CHF enhancement 13% | [16] | |
12. | SiC and Graphite | 0.1 vol.% | At 0.1 vol.% SiC / H2O and Graphite / H2O nanofluid, BHT increased. | [78] | |
13. | CuO | R-113 | Cu surface | Enhancement up to 30% | [43] |
14. | Al2O3 | H2O | Stainless-steel heater | Enhancement up to 25% | [35] |
15. | MgO | Therminol 66 | 0.1.0.2 and 0.3 wt.% | Maximum HTC enhancement was 23.7% at wt.% = 0.1. | [82] |
16. | ZnO | H2O | 0.005 to 0.02 vol.% | Heat transfer rate of Al2O3/H2O nanofluid was increased by flow boiling by roughly 86%. | [83] |
BHTE | Boiling Heat Transfer Enhancement |
BC | Boiling Curve |
CHF | Critical Heat Flux |
COP | Coefficient Of Performance |
DI | Deionized |
PBHT | Pool Boiling Heat Transfer |
FBHT | Flow Boiling Heat Transfer |
FBHTE | Flow Boiling Heat Transfer Enhancement |
GO | Graphene Oxide |
HT | Heat Transfer |
HTC | Heat Transfer Coefficient |
HTE | Heat Transfer Enhancement |
PCM | Phase Change Materials |
LPT | Leidenfrost Point Temperature |
MCHS | Microchannel Heat Sinks |
MWCNTs | Multi-Wall Carbon Nanotubes |
NB | Nanofluids Boiling |
PBHTE | Pool Boiling Heat Transfer Enhancement |
SDBS | Sodium Dodecylbenzene Sulfonate |
TEM | Transmission Electron Microscopy |
A | Area (m2) |
Cpl | Liquid Specific Heat (J/kg⋅K) |
K | Thermal Conductivity (W/m⋅K) |
G | Mass Flux (kg m-2 s-1) |
h | Heat Transfer Coefficient (W m-2 K-1) |
q″ | Heat Flux (W m-2) |
T | Temperature (°C or K) |
ΔTₑ | Wall Superheat, Ts − Tsat (K) |
φ | Nanoparticle Volume Fraction |
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APA Style
Sikder, M. R. K., Abedin, M. Z., Islam, S., Hossen, M. J., Islam, J., et al. (2026). Advances in Nanofluid-Enhanced Pool and Flow Boiling Heat Transfer: A Comprehensive Review. American Journal of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, 11(4), 57-80. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajmie.20261104.11
ACS Style
Sikder, M. R. K.; Abedin, M. Z.; Islam, S.; Hossen, M. J.; Islam, J., et al. Advances in Nanofluid-Enhanced Pool and Flow Boiling Heat Transfer: A Comprehensive Review. Am. J. Mech. Ind. Eng. 2026, 11(4), 57-80. doi: 10.11648/j.ajmie.20261104.11
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author = {Md. Rezaul Karim Sikder and Mohammad Zoynal Abedin and Samsul Islam and Md. Jakir Hossen and Jahirul Islam and Ruman Uddin and Abdul Ahad and Md. Shah Mamunur Rashid and Nurul Hoda Sanid and Mohammad Monirul Kabir Mridha},
title = {Advances in Nanofluid-Enhanced Pool and Flow Boiling Heat Transfer: A Comprehensive Review},
journal = {American Journal of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering},
volume = {11},
number = {4},
pages = {57-80},
doi = {10.11648/j.ajmie.20261104.11},
url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajmie.20261104.11},
eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajmie.20261104.11},
abstract = {Boiling heat transfer is an important thermal management mechanism in power generation, chemical processing, high-heat-flux electronics, refrigeration, nuclear reactors, and automotive systems because it enables large heat removal at comparatively small temperature differences. Nanofluids have emerged as promising working fluids for further improving boiling performance; however, published results remain highly scattered because critical heat flux and heat transfer coefficient depend simultaneously on nanoparticle composition, concentration, stability, surface condition, heater material, mass flux, pressure, vapor quality, and flow regime. This review addresses this gap by critically comparing experimental studies on nanofluid-enhanced pool and flow boiling and by organizing the available evidence according to working fluid, nanoparticle type, heater configuration, operating condition, HTC response, and CHF response. Al2O3 and TiO2 are the most extensively investigated nanoparticles, whereas CuO, SiO2, ZnO, Fe3O4, MgO, graphene oxide, carbon nanotubes, SiC, and graphite have also shown notable but condition-dependent performance. In pool boiling, reported CHF enhancements reach 200% for Al2O3 and TiO2, 117% for ZnO, 100% for Al2O3-TiO2 combinations, and 60% for SiO2, while HTC improvements include 43% for Fe3O4, 20 to 30% for CuO, 28.7% for carbon nanotubes, and 22% for ZnO. Additional studies report study-specific pool-boiling maxima of 145 to 245% in CHF for reduced-graphene-oxide/water and 75% in HTC for Al2O3/water on smooth surfaces. In flow boiling, CHF enhancements of 100% for graphene oxide, 70% for Al2O3, 35% for SiC, and 13% for Al2O3 Cu are reported, whereas HTC increases reach 126% for ZnO, 86% for Al2O3, 30% for CuO, 27.97% for TiO2, and 23.7% for MgO. The review shows that nanofluid boiling enhancement is governed by coupled fluid-surface-hydrodynamic interactions rather than thermal conductivity alone and identifies standardization, long-term stability, fouling, pressure-drop penalties, and predictive model validation as the principal unresolved challenges, requiring coordinated testing before reliable industrial implementation can be achieved across thermal systems and operating conditions.},
year = {2026}
}
TY - JOUR T1 - Advances in Nanofluid-Enhanced Pool and Flow Boiling Heat Transfer: A Comprehensive Review AU - Md. Rezaul Karim Sikder AU - Mohammad Zoynal Abedin AU - Samsul Islam AU - Md. Jakir Hossen AU - Jahirul Islam AU - Ruman Uddin AU - Abdul Ahad AU - Md. Shah Mamunur Rashid AU - Nurul Hoda Sanid AU - Mohammad Monirul Kabir Mridha Y1 - 2026/08/17 PY - 2026 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajmie.20261104.11 DO - 10.11648/j.ajmie.20261104.11 T2 - American Journal of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering JF - American Journal of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering JO - American Journal of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering SP - 57 EP - 80 PB - Science Publishing Group SN - 2575-6060 UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajmie.20261104.11 AB - Boiling heat transfer is an important thermal management mechanism in power generation, chemical processing, high-heat-flux electronics, refrigeration, nuclear reactors, and automotive systems because it enables large heat removal at comparatively small temperature differences. Nanofluids have emerged as promising working fluids for further improving boiling performance; however, published results remain highly scattered because critical heat flux and heat transfer coefficient depend simultaneously on nanoparticle composition, concentration, stability, surface condition, heater material, mass flux, pressure, vapor quality, and flow regime. This review addresses this gap by critically comparing experimental studies on nanofluid-enhanced pool and flow boiling and by organizing the available evidence according to working fluid, nanoparticle type, heater configuration, operating condition, HTC response, and CHF response. Al2O3 and TiO2 are the most extensively investigated nanoparticles, whereas CuO, SiO2, ZnO, Fe3O4, MgO, graphene oxide, carbon nanotubes, SiC, and graphite have also shown notable but condition-dependent performance. In pool boiling, reported CHF enhancements reach 200% for Al2O3 and TiO2, 117% for ZnO, 100% for Al2O3-TiO2 combinations, and 60% for SiO2, while HTC improvements include 43% for Fe3O4, 20 to 30% for CuO, 28.7% for carbon nanotubes, and 22% for ZnO. Additional studies report study-specific pool-boiling maxima of 145 to 245% in CHF for reduced-graphene-oxide/water and 75% in HTC for Al2O3/water on smooth surfaces. In flow boiling, CHF enhancements of 100% for graphene oxide, 70% for Al2O3, 35% for SiC, and 13% for Al2O3 Cu are reported, whereas HTC increases reach 126% for ZnO, 86% for Al2O3, 30% for CuO, 27.97% for TiO2, and 23.7% for MgO. The review shows that nanofluid boiling enhancement is governed by coupled fluid-surface-hydrodynamic interactions rather than thermal conductivity alone and identifies standardization, long-term stability, fouling, pressure-drop penalties, and predictive model validation as the principal unresolved challenges, requiring coordinated testing before reliable industrial implementation can be achieved across thermal systems and operating conditions. VL - 11 IS - 4 ER -
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dhaka University of Engineering & Technology, Gazipur, Bangladesh
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dhaka University of Engineering & Technology, Gazipur, Bangladesh
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dhaka University of Engineering & Technology, Gazipur, Bangladesh
Institute of Energy Engineering, Dhaka University of Engineering & Technology, Gazipur, Bangladesh
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dhaka University of Engineering & Technology, Gazipur, Bangladesh
Department of Chemical Engineering, Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology, Gazipur, Bangladesh
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dhaka University of Engineering & Technology, Gazipur, Bangladesh
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dhaka University of Engineering & Technology, Gazipur, Bangladesh
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dhaka University of Engineering & Technology, Gazipur, Bangladesh
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dhaka University of Engineering & Technology, Gazipur, Bangladesh
Figure 1. Boiling curve of water showing the variation in heat flux with surface superheat, ΔTe=Ts−Tsat, across the natural-convection, nucleate-boiling, transition-boiling, and film-boiling regimes. The critical and minimum heat-flux points are also indicated [4].
Figure 2. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images of water-based nanofluids prepared using different synthesis routes: (a) carbon-based nanofluid produced by the one-step method and (b) alumina nanofluid prepared by the two-step method. Scale bars: 50 nm [8].
Figure 3. Schematic comparison of boiling heat-transfer configurations: (a) pool boiling, in which a stationary liquid is heated from below, and (b) flow boiling, in which the liquid flows through a heated channel [4].
Figure 4. Annual number of publications on boiling heat transfer using nanofluids from 2003 to 2020 [7].
Figure 5. Schematic illustration of flow boiling regimes in a heated channel, showing the transition from single-phase liquid to bubbly, plug, wavy, intermittently dry, and tube wall dry flow patterns along the flow direction [38].
Figure 6. Cross-sectional schematic of the microchannel flow boiling test section, illustrating the heating assembly, thermocouple arrangement, insulation, and coolant flow configuration [41].
Figure 7. Heat flux distribution along a microchannel under single-phase, subcooled boiling, and saturated boiling regimes at G = 330 kg/m2.s and Tf,in = 92.1°C [8].
Figure 8. Classification of heat transfer enhancement techniques, including active, passive, and compound methods used to improve thermal performance [46].
Figure 9. Comparison of conventional and enhanced pool boiling curves, illustrating reduced onset of nucleate boiling (ONB), increased critical heat flux (CHF), and improved boiling heat transfer performance achieved by surface enhancement techniques [57].
Figure 10. Boiling performance of enhanced heat transfer surfaces: (a) Long-term pool boiling performance of saturated water on an Al2O3 nano-porous surface under atmospheric pressure, and (b) Comparison of boiling curves for enhanced and plain surfaces in water [47].
Figure 11. Boiling characteristics of deionized water and SiO2 nanofluids on hydrophilic surfaces: (a) Pool boiling curves at different nanoparticle concentrations, and (b) Variation of the heat transfer coefficient with heat flux [67].
Figure 12. Schematic diagram of the experimental setup for flow boiling heat transfer using nanofluids [69].
Figure 13. Schematic illustration of the two-step nanofluid preparation method: (a) pure base fluid, (b) base fluid with stabilizers, and (c) nanofluid with dispersed nanoparticles stabilized in the liquid [73].
Figure 14. Variation of the heat transfer coefficient (HTC) of ZnO water nanofluids with heat flux at a mass flow rate of 400 kg m-2 s-1 for nanoparticle volume fractions of (a) 0.0001 vol.%, (b) 0.001 vol.%, (c) 0.01 vol.%, and (d) 0.1 vol.% [69].
Figure 15. Effect of Al2O3 Water Nanofluids on the Heat Transfer Coefficient Under Different Mass Flow Rates: (a) Heat Transfer Coefficient at G = 1500 kg/m2·s and (b) Heat Transfer Coefficient at G = 2000 kg/m2·s [45].
Figure 16. Bar chart to illustrate maximum increase (%) of (a) HTC and (b) CHF in pool boiling for different nanoparticles.
Figure 17. Comparison of the maximum enhancement in (a) heat transfer coefficient (HTC) and (b) critical heat flux (CHF) during flow boiling for different nanoparticles.
Figure 18. Key factors influencing the enhancement of pool and flow boiling heat transfer using nanofluids.
Figure 19. Cross-study comparison of the key factors governing nanofluid boiling performance: (a) Nanofluid state, (b) Boiling surface, and (c) Operating conditions.
Figure 20. Pool-boiling enhancement mechanisms: (a) Nanoparticle transport to the heated surface and (b) Surface deposition and morphology evolution.
Figure 21. Representative CHF enhancement of selected nanofluids under pool-boiling conditions.
Figure 22. Flow-boiling hydrodynamics and nanofluid interactions across two-phase flow regimes.
Figure 23. Representative HTC and CHF enhancement of selected nanofluids under flow-boiling conditions.
Figure 24. Conceptual framework illustrating the conditions leading to enhancement or deterioration of flow-boiling performance in nanofluids.
Figure 25. Integrated mechanisms governing nanofluid boiling enhancement: (a) Suspension state, (b) Particle transport, (c) Surface evolution, (d) Flow-boiling hydrodynamics, and (e) Performance outcomes.
Figure 26. Framework for standardization and industrial implementation: (a) Nanofluid preparation and characterization, (b) Surface and deposit characterization, (c) Experimental reporting and uncertainty, (d) Long-term testing, and (e) Industrial viability and open-data practices.
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