Exploiting limitations of fused deposition modeling to enhance mixing in 3D printed microfluidic devices
ISSN: 1355-2546
Article publication date: 20 August 2021
Issue publication date: 18 November 2021
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to introduce an alternative construction for microfluidic micromixers, where the effect of the extruded filaments in the fused deposition modeling (FDM) technique is used to enhance mixing performance identified as a challenge in microfluidic micromixers.
Design/methodology/approach
A simple Y-shaped micromixer was designed and printed using FDM technique. Experimental and numerical studies were conducted to investigate the effect of the extruded filaments on the flow behavior. The effects of the extruded width (LW), distance between adjacent filaments (b) and filament height (h1) are investigated on the mixing performance and enhancing mixing in the fabricated devices. The performance of fabricated devices in mixing two solutions was tested at flow rates of 5, 10, 20, 40, 80 and 150 µL/min.
Findings
The experimental results showed that the presence of geometrical features on microchannels, because of the nature of the FDM process, can act as ridges and generate a lateral transform through the transverse movement of fluids along the groove. The results showed the effect of increasing ridge height on the transverse movement of the fluids and, therefore, chaotic mixing over the ridges. In contrast, in the shallow ridge, diffusion is the only mechanism for mixing, which confirms the numerical results.
Originality/value
The study presents an exciting aspect of FDM for fabrication of micromixers and enhance mixing process. In comparison to other methods, no complexity was added in fabrication process and the ridges are an inherent property of the FDM process.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research under the program “Department of Excellence” Legge 232/2016 (Grant No. CUP–D94I18000260001). The authors would like to give special thanks to professor Giuseppe Pascazio, from Polytechnic University of Bari, Italy, for the support on the numerical part of the paper.
Citation
Zeraatkar, M., de Tullio, M.D., Pricci, A., Pignatelli, F. and Percoco, G. (2021), "Exploiting limitations of fused deposition modeling to enhance mixing in 3D printed microfluidic devices", Rapid Prototyping Journal, Vol. 27 No. 10, pp. 1850-1859. https://doi.org/10.1108/RPJ-03-2021-0051
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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