Microfluidic Device Tests Fluid Compatibility

April 14, 2006
Microfluidic Device Tests Fluid Compatibility

A new NIST microfluidic instrument measures the mixing compatibility of complex liquids by observing how drops of one fluid flowing within a "river" of a second fluid change in shape as they travel through channels of various sizes. Credit: Credit line: S.Hudson/NIST

The key to a great party is inviting guests who mix well and don't instill tension among their fellow revelers. The key to a great detergent, cosmetic, paint or other complex liquid product is pretty much the same--include components that mix well and don't have high levels of what scientists call "interfacial tension," a tendency to bead up and pull away from each other.

To help industrial engineers improve their ability to systematically test new product formulations, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a microfluidic instrument that quickly measures interfacial tension.

The instrument is relatively simple and includes a series of channels ranging from 700 micrometers to 50 micrometers wide. Fluids are pumped toward a "T" intersection where drops of one liquid are pinched off and flow along a "river" of the second liquid. As the spherical drops flow through constriction points in the channel, they speed up and elongate. The degree to which the drops stretch out depends on the interfacial tension between the two fluids. High levels of tension exert more pressure on the drops, keeping them more nearly spherical.

Just as the mood of a party goes through stages, the tension between newly mixed liquids can change over time, and the device tracks these changes as the drops move downstream through the channel. A camera captures 100 pictures per second to record the changes, and an algorithm analyzes the data and produces a measurement in approximately 1 second.

Reporting on their work in the March issue of the journal Lab on a Chip, the researchers say they expect that the device will be especially useful to test fresh interfaces for applications with scarce amounts of the fluids to be tested such as custom-synthesized materials from combinatorial chemistry.

Source: NIST

4.8 /5 (6 votes)  

Rank 4.8 /5 (6 votes)
Tags

Relevant PhysicsForums posts

More news stories

Explained: Sigma

It's a question that arises with virtually every major new finding in science or medicine: What makes a result reliable enough to be taken seriously? The answer has to do with statistical significance -- but ...

Physics / General Physics

created Feb 09, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (19) | comments 65

Quantum physicist explains $100K offer for proof scaled-up quantum computing is impossible

(PhysOrg.com) -- MIT researcher Scott Aaronson has certainly riled the physics community with his offer this past Friday, of $100,000 to anyone who can prove that scaled-up quantum computing is impossible. ...

Physics / Quantum Physics

created Feb 08, 2012 | popularity 4.2 / 5 (13) | comments 34 | with audio podcast weblog

Diamond light, brighter than the sun

It’s the size of five football pitches and generates light 10 billion times brighter than the sun. As the Diamond Light Source celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, Penny Bailey visits one of the ...

Physics / General Physics

created Feb 07, 2012 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (7) | comments 15 | with audio podcast

Physicists 'record' magnetic breakthrough

An international team of scientists has demonstrated a revolutionary new way of magnetic recording which will allow information to be processed hundreds of times faster than by current hard drive technology.

Physics / General Physics

created Feb 07, 2012 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (41) | comments 14 | with audio podcast

Hints of the Higgs - papers are submitted

Back in December 2011, the ATLAS and CMS experiments at CERN presented some exciting results that provided tantalising hints of the Higgs boson.

Physics / General Physics

created Feb 08, 2012 | popularity 4.1 / 5 (7) | comments 10


Walney offshore wind farm is world's biggest (for now)

(PhysOrg.com) -- The Walney wind farm on the Irish Sea--characterized by high tides, waves and windy weather--officially opened this week. The farm is treated in the press as a very big deal as the Walney ...

GPS court ruling leaves US phone tracking unclear

A US Supreme Court decision requiring a warrant to place a GPS device on the car of a criminal suspect leaves unresolved the bigger issue of police tracking using mobile phones, legal experts say.

Europeans protest controversial Internet pact

Tens of thousands of people marched in protests in more than a dozen European cities Saturday against a controversial anti-online piracy pact that critics say could curtail Internet freedom.

Europe stakes billion-dollar bet on new rocket

A pencil-slim rocket is scheduled to lift into space from South America on Monday, carrying a billion-dollar bet that Europe can grab a juicy slice of the market to place satellites in low orbit.

Study finds that anti-diabetic medication can prevent the long-term effects of maternal obesity

In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, in Dallas, Texas, researchers will report findings that show that short therapy with the anti-diabetic medication ...

Netflix settlement trims 14 pct off 4Q earnings

(AP) -- Netflix pressed the rewind button on its fourth-quarter earnings after settling allegations that the video subscription service violated a consumer-privacy law.