In this review work, the recent progress made in the use of nanofluids (NFs) applied in
three specific areas will be presented: machining, solar energy, and biomedical engineering. Within
this context, the discussions will be guided by emphasizing the thermal and stability properties of
these fluids. In machining, NFs play a prominent role in the processes of turning, milling, drilling,
and grinding, being responsible for their optimization as well as improving the useful life of the tools
and reducing costs. In the solar energy field, NFs have been used in the thermal management of the
panels, controlling and homogenizing the operating temperature of these systems. In the biomedical
area, the advantages of using NFs come from the treatment of cancer cells, the development of
vaccines before the improvement of diagnostic imaging, and many others. In all lines of research
mentioned in this study, the main parameters that have limited or encouraged the use of these fluids
are also identified and debated. Finally, the discussions presented in this review will inspire and
guide researchers in developing new techniques to improve the applications of NFs in several fields.
This research was partially funded by the Portuguese national funds of FCT/MCTES
(PIDDAC) through the base funding from the following research units: UIDB/00690/2020 (CIMO),
UIDB/04077/2020 (MEtRICs), and UIDB/00532/2020 (CEFT). The authors are also grateful for
the funding of ANI and CIMO through the projects POCI-01-02B7-FEDER-069844 and CMFPE3-
EXPL2021CIMO_01, respectively. The authors also acknowledge partial financial support from the
project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-030171 (PTDC/EMD-EMD/30171/2017), PTDC/EME-TED/7801/
2020 and EXPL/EME-EME/0732/2021 funded by the NORTE 2020 Portugal Regional Operational
Programme, under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional
Development Fund (FEDER) and by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT).
