scholarly journals A 3D Printed Jet Mixer for Centrifugal Microfluidic Platforms

Micromachines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunxia Wang ◽  
Yong Zhang ◽  
Zheng Qiao ◽  
Wanjun Wang

Homogeneous mixing of microscopic volume fluids at low Reynolds number is of great significance for a wide range of chemical, biological, and medical applications. An efficient jet mixer with arrays of micronozzles was designed and fabricated using additive manufacturing (three-dimensional (3D) printing) technology for applications in centrifugal microfluidic platforms. The contact surface of miscible liquids was enhanced significantly by impinging plumes from two opposite arrays of micronozzles to improve mixing performance. The mixing efficiency was evaluated and compared with the commonly used Y-shaped micromixer. Effective mixing in the jet mixer was achieved within a very short timescale (3s). This 3D printed jet mixer has great potential to be implemented in applications by being incorporated into multifarious 3D printing devices in microfluidic platforms.

Author(s):  
Md. Readul Mahmud

The fluids inside passive micromixers are laminar in nature and mixing depends primarily on diffusion. Hence mixing efficiency is generally low, and requires a long channel length and longtime compare to active mixers. Various designs of complex channel structures with/without obstacles and three-dimensional geometries have been investigated in the past to obtain an efficient mixing in passive mixers. This work presents a design of a modified T mixer. To enhance the mixing performance, circular and hexagonal obstacles are introduced inside the modified T mixer. Numerical investigation on mixing and flow characteristics in microchannels is carried out using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software ANSYS 15. Mixing in the channels has been analyzed by using Navier–Stokes equations with water-water for a wide range of the Reynolds numbers from 1 to 500. The results show that the modified T mixer with circular obstacles has far better mixing performance than the modified T mixer without obstacles. The reason is that fluids' path length becomes longer due to the presence of obstacles which gives fluids more time to diffuse. For all cases, the modified T mixer with circular obstacle yields the best mixing efficiency (more than 60%) at all examined Reynolds numbers. It is also clear that efficiency increase with axial length. Efficiency can be simply improved by adding extra mixing units to provide adequate mixing. The value of the pressure drop is the lowest for the modified T mixer because there is no obstacle inside the channel. Modified T mixer and modified T mixer with circular obstacle have the lowest and highest mixing cost, respectively. Therefore, the current design of modified T with circular obstacles can act as an effective and simple passive mixing device for various micromixing applications.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian L. Treviño ◽  
Joseph D. Galloway ◽  
Pranav A. Bhounsule

In this paper, we present the redesign and analysis of a century old walking toy. Historically, the toy is made up of two wooden pieces including a rear leg and a front leg and body (as a single piece) that are attached to each other by means of a pin joint. When the toy is placed on a ramp and given a slight perturbation, it ambles downhill powered only by gravity. Before the toy can walk successfully, it needs careful tuning of its geometry and mass distribution. The traditional technique of manual wood carving offers very limited flexibility to tune the mass distribution and geometry. We have re-engineered the toy to be three-dimensional (3D) printed as a single integrated assembly that includes a pin joint and the two legs. After 3D printing, we have to manually break-off the weakly held support material to allow movement of the pin joint. It took us 6 iterations to progressively tune the leg geometry, mass distribution, and hinge joint tolerances to create our most successful working prototype. The final 3D printed toy needs minimal postprocessing and walks reliably on a 7.87 deg downhill ramp. Next, we created a computer model of the toy to explain its motion and stability. Parameter studies reveal that the toy exhibits stable walking motion for a fairly wide range of mass distributions. Although 3D printing has been used to create nonassembly articulated kinematic mechanisms, this is the first study that shows that it is possible to create dynamics-based nonassembly mechanisms such as walking toys.


Gels ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 92
Author(s):  
Natalia Menshutina ◽  
Andrey Abramov ◽  
Pavel Tsygankov ◽  
Daria Lovskaya

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a promising technology for solving a wide range of problems: regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, chemistry, etc. One of the potential applications of additive technologies is the production of highly porous structures with complex geometries, while printing is carried out using gel-like materials. However, the implementation of precise gel printing is a difficult task due to the high requirements for “ink”. In this paper, we propose the use of gel-like materials based on sodium alginate as “ink” for the implementation of the developed technology of extrusion-based 3D printing. Rheological studies were carried out for the developed alginate ink compositions. The optimal rheological properties are gel-like materials based on 2 wt% sodium alginate and 0.2 wt% calcium chloride. The 3D-printed structures with complex geometry were successfully dried using supercritical drying. The resulting aerogels have a high specific surface area (from 350 to 422 m2/g) and a high pore volume (from 3 to 3.78 cm3/g).


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (10) ◽  
pp. 1783-1788
Author(s):  
Asif Ur Rehman ◽  
Vincenzo M. Sglavo

Purpose Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology allows geometric complexity and customization with a significant reduction in the structural environmental impact. Nevertheless, it poses a serious threat to the environment when organic binders are used. Binder jet printing of alkali-activated geopolymer precursor can represent a successful and environmental-friendly alternative. Design/methodology/approach The present work reports about the successful 3D printing of metakaolin-based alkali-activated concrete, with dimensional integrity and valuable mechanical behavior. Findings The geometric behavior was studied as a function of alkali activator flow rate, and the minimum geometric deviation with complete saturation was recorded at 103 mg/s. The printed specimen is characterized by a modulus of rupture as high as 4.4 MPa at 135 mg/s. Practical implications The 3D printed geopolymer-based concrete can be potentially used in a wide range of structural applications from construction to thermal insulation elements. Originality/value The analysis of the 3D geopolymer-based concrete printing system and material conducted in this paper is original.


Sensor Review ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 333-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Bogue

Purpose This study aims to provide a technical insight into sensors fabricated by three-dimensional (3D) printing methods. Design/methodology/approach Following an introduction to 3D printing, this article first discusses printed sensors for strain and allied variables, based on a diverse range of principles and materials. It then considers ultrasonic and acoustic sensor developments and provides details of a sensor based on 3D printed electronic components for monitoring food quality in real-time. Finally, brief concluding comments are drawn. Findings Several variants of the 3D printing technique have been used in the fabrication of a range of sensors based on many different operating principles. These exhibit good performance and sometimes unique characteristics. A key benefit is the ability to overcome the limitations of conventional manufacturing techniques by creating complex shapes from a wide range of sensing materials. Originality/value 3D printing is a new and potentially important sensor fabrication technology, and this article provides details of a range of recently reported developments.


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 2950
Author(s):  
Hongwei Song ◽  
Xinle Li

The most active research area is nanotechnology in cementitious composites, which has a wide range of applications and has achieved popularity over the last three decades. Nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged as possible materials to be used in the field of civil engineering. Previous research has concentrated on evaluating the effect of different NPs in cementitious materials to alter material characteristics. In order to provide a broad understanding of how nanomaterials (NMs) can be used, this paper critically evaluates previous research on the influence of rheology, mechanical properties, durability, 3D printing, and microstructural performance on cementitious materials. The flow properties of fresh cementitious composites can be measured using rheology and slump. Mechanical properties such as compressive, flexural, and split tensile strength reveal hardened properties. The necessary tests for determining a NM’s durability in concrete are shrinkage, pore structure and porosity, and permeability. The advent of modern 3D printing technologies is suitable for structural printing, such as contour crafting and binder jetting. Three-dimensional (3D) printing has opened up new avenues for the building and construction industry to become more digital. Regardless of the material science, a range of problems must be tackled, including developing smart cementitious composites suitable for 3D structural printing. According to the scanning electron microscopy results, the addition of NMs to cementitious materials results in a denser and improved microstructure with more hydration products. This paper provides valuable information and details about the rheology, mechanical properties, durability, 3D printing, and microstructural performance of cementitious materials with NMs and encourages further research.


Author(s):  
Yanyan Ma ◽  
Peng Ding ◽  
Lanlan Li ◽  
Yang Liu ◽  
Ping Jin ◽  
...  

AbstractHeart diseases remain the top threat to human health, and the treatment of heart diseases changes with each passing day. Convincing evidence shows that three-dimensional (3D) printing allows for a more precise understanding of the complex anatomy associated with various heart diseases. In addition, 3D-printed models of cardiac diseases may serve as effective educational tools and for hands-on simulation of surgical interventions. We introduce examples of the clinical applications of different types of 3D printing based on specific cases and clinical application scenarios of 3D printing in treating heart diseases. We also discuss the limitations and clinically unmet needs of 3D printing in this context.


Crystals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 353
Author(s):  
Yanting Han ◽  
Qianqian Wei ◽  
Pengbo Chang ◽  
Kehui Hu ◽  
Oseweuba Valentine Okoro ◽  
...  

Hydroxyapatite (HA) and HA-based nanocomposites have been recognized as ideal biomaterials in hard tissue engineering because of their compositional similarity to bioapatite. However, the traditional HA-based nanocomposites fabrication techniques still limit the utilization of HA in bone, cartilage, dental, applications, and other fields. In recent years, three-dimensional (3D) printing has been shown to provide a fast, precise, controllable, and scalable fabrication approach for the synthesis of HA-based scaffolds. This review therefore explores available 3D printing technologies for the preparation of porous HA-based nanocomposites. In the present review, different 3D printed HA-based scaffolds composited with natural polymers and/or synthetic polymers are discussed. Furthermore, the desired properties of HA-based composites via 3D printing such as porosity, mechanical properties, biodegradability, and antibacterial properties are extensively explored. Lastly, the applications and the next generation of HA-based nanocomposites for tissue engineering are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-69
Author(s):  
Amirhosein Fathi ◽  
Farzad Kermani ◽  
Aliasghar Behnamghader ◽  
Sara Banijamali ◽  
Masoud Mozafari ◽  
...  

AbstractOver the last years, three-dimensional (3D) printing has been successfully applied to produce suitable substitutes for treating bone defects. In this work, 3D printed composite scaffolds of polycaprolactone (PCL) and strontium (Sr)- and cobalt (Co)-doped multi-component melt-derived bioactive glasses (BGs) were prepared for bone tissue engineering strategies. For this purpose, 30% of as-prepared BG particles (size <38 μm) were incorporated into PCL, and then the obtained composite mix was introduced into a 3D printing machine to fabricate layer-by-layer porous structures with the size of 12 × 12 × 2 mm3.The scaffolds were fully characterized through a series of physico-chemical and biological assays. Adding the BGs to PCL led to an improvement in the compressive strength of the fabricated scaffolds and increased their hydrophilicity. Furthermore, the PCL/BG scaffolds showed apatite-forming ability (i.e., bioactivity behavior) after being immersed in simulated body fluid (SBF). The in vitro cellular examinations revealed the cytocompatibility of the scaffolds and confirmed them as suitable substrates for the adhesion and proliferation of MG-63 osteosarcoma cells. In conclusion, 3D printed composite scaffolds made of PCL and Sr- and Co-doped BGs might be potentially-beneficial bone replacements, and the achieved results motivate further research on these materials.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Benedikt Mietner ◽  
Xuehe Jiang ◽  
Ulrica Edlund ◽  
Bodo Saake ◽  
Julien R. G. Navarro

AbstractIn this work, we present an approach to cross-link cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) with various metallic cations (Fe3+, Al3+, Ca2+, and Mg2+) to produce inks suitable for three-dimensional (3D) printing application. The printability of each hydrogel ink was evaluated, and several parameters such as the optimal ratio of Mn+:TOCNF:H2O were discussed. CNF suspensions were produced by mechanical disintegration of cellulose pulp with a microfluidizer and then oxidized with 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO). Finally, metal cations were introduced to the deprotonated TEMPO-oxidized CNF (TOCNF) suspension to cross-link the nanofibrils and form the corresponding hydrogels. The performances of each gel-ink were evaluated by rheological measurements and 3D printing. Only the gels incorporated with divalent cations Ca2+ and Mg2+ were suitable for 3D printing. The 3D printed structures were freeze-dried and characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The better interaction of the TOCNFs with the divalent metallic cations in terms of printability, the viscoelastic properties of the inks, and the variation trends owing to various metal cations and ratios are discussed.


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