Boiling heat transfer characteristics of nano-fluids with nano-particles suspended in water are studied using different volume concentrations of alumina nano-particles. Pool boiling heat transfer coefficients and phenomena of nano-fluids are compared with those of pure water, which are acquired on a smooth horizontal flat surface (roughness of a few tens nano-meters). The experimental results show that these nano-fluids have poor heat transfer performance compared to pure water in natural convection and nucleate boiling. On the other hand, CHF has been enhanced in not only horizontal but also vertical pool boiling. This is related to a change of surface characteristics by the deposition of nano-particles. In addition, comparisons between the heat transfer data and the Rhosenow correlation show that the correlation can potentially predict the performance with an appropriate modified liquid-surface combination factor and changed physical properties of the base liquid. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.