Buildup of a porous layer of nanoparticles on the heated surface occurs upon boiling of nanofluids containing alumina, zirconia, or silica nanoparticles. This layer significantly improves the surface wettability, as shown by a reduction of the static contact angle on the nanofluid-boiled surfaces compared with the pure-water-boiled surfaces. The contact angle reduction is attributed to changes in surface energy and surface morphology brought about by the presence of the nanoparticle layer. The high surface wettability can plausibly explain the boiling critical heat flux enhancement in nanofluids.
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