A
lubricant composition having an enhanced
thermal conductivity, up to 80% greater than its conventional analogues, and methods of preparation for these fluids are identified. One preferred composition contains a
base oil, nanomaterial, and a dispersing agent or surfactant for the purpose of stabilizing the nanomaterial. One preferred nanomaterial is a high
thermal conductivity graphite, exceeding 80 W / m in
thermal conductivity. The
graphite is ground, milled, or naturally prepared to obtain a mean particle size less than 500 nm in
diameter, and preferably less than 100 nm, and most preferably less than 50 nm. The
graphite is dispersed in the fluid by one or more of various methods, including ultrasonication, milling, and chemical dispersion.
Carbon nanostructures such as nanotubes, nanofibrils, and nanoparticles are another type of graphitic structure useful in the present invention. Other high thermal
conductivity carbon materials are also acceptable. To confer long-term stability, the use of one or more chemical dispersants or surfactants is useful. The thermal
conductivity enhancement, compared to the fluid without graphite, is proportional to the amount of
nanomaterials added. The graphite
nanomaterials contribute to the overall
fluid viscosity, partly or completely eliminating the need for
viscosity index improvers and providing a very high
viscosity index. Particle size and dispersing
chemistry is controlled to get the desired combination of
viscosity and thermal
conductivity increase from the
base oil while controlling the amount of temporary viscosity loss in shear fields. The resulting fluids have unique properties due to the high thermal conductivity and high
viscosity index of the
suspended particles, as well as their small size.