Novel template digestive fabrication of multi-helical flow reactors

Abstract

Embedded template-assisted fabrication by template removal technique is a simple and cost-effective method for preparation of complex 2D and 3D microchannels in soft poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) platforms. However, employing this technique for fabrication of macroscale flow channels is impractical due to the requirement of a high swelling ratio of the PDMS network and other difficulties arising with the usage of millimeter-sized monofilament threads. The current work introduces a novel template digestion technique for fabricating topologically complex and transparent flow channels. The technique in-volves preparation of templates using flexible polyurethane (PU) tubes and their sub-sequent digestion by hot dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) within the embedding PDMS network. It is demonstrated for fabrication of various multi-helical channels (MHCs) with different geometrical features and compact modules of multiple MHCs which cater to process integration and intensification operations. Finally, an integrated operation of li-quid-liquid extraction with subsequent phase separation is also demonstrated through typical parallel flow observed in MHCs.(c) 2023 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.