Acclimatization through thermal diffusivity tuning of coconut oil – A mode mismatched dual-beam thermal lens study

BACKGROUND: Ayurvedic medicinal oils traditionally prepared by blending herbal extracts in different compositions are commonly used for treatment and improving health. The estimation of the thermal properties of medicinal oils is essential for practical applications. OBJECTIVE: The present work aims to expound the ability of medicinal oils for the acclimatization of body temperature by determining its thermal diffusivity and thereby providing a validation to the traditional knowledge. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medicinal oils are prepared by incorporating black pepper (Piper nigrum), aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis), hibiscus bud (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) and Ocimum sanctum in coconut oil base. The samples are subjected to thermal diffusivity study using the mode-mismatched dual-beam thermal lens technique. RESULTS: The study reveals that the incorporation of black pepper (Piper nigrum), having hot potency (Ushna veerya), to the base fluid lowers the thermal diffusivity value, suggesting its potential in heat-trapping. The addition of aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis), hibiscus bud (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), and O. sanctum dissipates heat energy quickly, thus increases the thermal diffusivity of coconut oil revealing a cold potency (Sheeta veerya). The study provides a validation for traditional knowledge and delineates the possiblity of thermal diffusivity tuning of the base fluids. CONCLUSION: The thermal diffusivity tuning through incorporation of herbal extracts can effectively be used to acclimatize the human body temperature with the surroundings. A higher thermal diffusivity value induces a cooling effect and the lower value causes heating effect. This, opens up the possibility of using thermally tuned oils depending on climate and geographical location.