Dual solutions of magnetite/cobalt/manganese-zinc-aqueous nano-ferrofluids from a stretching sheet with magnetic induction effects: MHD stagnation flow computation and analysis

Abstract A theoretical study is presented for the steady magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) boundary layer stagnation point flow of a nano-ferrofluid along a linearly moving stretching sheet, as a simulation of functional magnetic materials processing. Due to having imerging applications in heat transfer, the nano-ferrofluids draw the attention which comprise an aqueous base fluid doped with a variety of magnetic nanoparticles, i.e. magnetite (Fe3O4), cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) and Manganese-zinc (Mn-Zn) ferrite. A partial differential equation mathematical model is developed for mass, momentum, magnetic field continuity (induction), and energy with appropriate wall and free stream boundary conditions. Following similarity transformations, the dimensionless resultant nonlinear ordinary differential boundary value problem is solved numerically using the robust bvp4c function in MATLAB which features very efficient 4th order optimized Runge–Kutta quadrature. Dual solutions for the upper branch and lower branch separated by a critical point are identified. Visualization of velocity, temperature, and induced magnetic field function are presented graphically including validation of solutions with previous studies. Furthermore, skin-friction coefficient and the local Nusselt number are also computed. The impact of the controlling parameters, i.e. Prandtl number nanoparticle volume fraction parameter reciprocal of magnetic Prandtl number magnetic parameter and stretching rate ratio parameter have been illustrated through graphs and evaluated when a desire heat transfer can occur. Furthermore, resistance between fluid and the plate can be increased with the growing magnetic Prandtl number values. Increment in magnetic parameter ( ) produces an elevation in the induced magnetic field magnitudes. Skin friction and Nusselt number are found to be greater for cobalt nanoparticles when compared to magnetite and Mn-Zn ferromagnetic nanoparticles when there is an increase in reciprocal magnetic Prandtl number. The simulations provide a deeper insight into the manufacturing flows of functional nano-ferromagnetic materials of relevance to deposition and coating systems.