Preparations and remarkable catalytic cracking performances of Pt@FGS/JP-10 nanofluids

The Pt@FGS/JP-10 nanofluids (0.1 wt% for Pt) were successfully prepared by two consecutive steps: loading Pt nanoparticles on the functionalized graphene sheets (FGS) grafted octadecylamine (ODA) via wet chemical method, following by dispersing it in JP-10 hydrocarbon fuel. The characterization of the prepared Pt@FGS showed that the size of Pt nanoparticles is ca. 2.2 nm, which could be stably dispersed in JP-10 for 2 weeks without significant aggregation or sediment, and the thermal conductivity of 0.2 wt% Pt@FGS/JP-10 nanofluids increases by ca. 35.2% compared with that of pure JP-10. Catalytic cracking performances of Pt@FGS/JP-10 nanofluids were evaluated in a batch reactor heated by fluidized sand at 360–420 °C, and observed that the cracking rate of JP-10 (400 °C, 5 h) improves by 150% in presence of 0.5 wt% Pt@FGS with improved hydrogen selectivity. The possible reason may be attributed to the catalytic dehydrogenation of JP-10 over Pt nanoparticles and the carbon defects on FGS (ca. 71.0% improvement in cracking rate for FGS/JP-10 nanofluids). This work provides a promising method to synchronously improve the thermal conductivity and endothermic cracking rate of JP-10 as a coolant for advanced aircrafts through adding trace Pt@FGS.