Ultrasonic attenuation for the longitudinal and shear waves due to phonon–phonon interaction and thermoelastic mechanism have been evaluated in B2 structured in-termetallic compounds AgMg, CuZr, AuMg, AuTi, AuMn, AuZn and AuCd along $\langle 1 0 0 \rangle, \langle 1 1 1 \rangle and \langle 1 1 0 \rangle crystallographic directions at room temperature. For the same evaluations, second- and third-order elastic constants, ultrasonic velocities, Grüneisen parameters, non-linearity parameter, Debye temperature and thermal relaxation time are also computed. Although the molecular weight of these materials increases from AgMg to AuCd, the obtained results are affected with the deviation number. Attenuation of ultrasonic waves due to phonon–phonon interaction is predominant over thermoelastic loss. Results are compared with available theoretical and experimental results. The results with other well-known physical properties are useful for industrial purposes.

The synthesis and characterization of nanosized zinc oxide and its nanofluid in a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix have been done in the present investigation. Crystalline zinc oxide nanoparticles are synthesized using single-step chemical method while the nanofluids are prepared by the dispersion of nanoparticles in PVA solution using an ultrasonicator. The prepared nanoparticles are characterized using X-ray diffraction, SEM–EDX and UV–visible spectrum. The particle size distribution measurement is carried out by acoustic particle sizer. The ultrasonic velocities are measured in the synthesized nanofluid under different physical conditions using an ultrasonic interferometer. It is found that the degree of crystallinity of nanoparticles depends on the evaporation rate during its synthesis and ultrasonic velocity has non-linear relation with temperature for the present nanofluid.