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Polymer Formulations
 

Motivation
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GOAL. To develop high throughput methods to advance polymer formulations science through the fabrication of robust microscale fluidic modules for the synthesis, processing and in-situ measurement of complex polymer solutions.
  • Companies adapting combi into their R&D environment need innovative approaches to measurements of complex fluids.
  • Multi-component mixtures pose complex, multi-parameter problems where industry anticipates high payoffs with incremental improvements in measurements.
  • Demands of library fabrication and processing conditions are increasingly complicated and the potential for translation of measurement tools to sensor and other technology is increasingly valuable.
  • Versatile, modular design capabilities are essential.
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    Approach

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    Polymer FormulationsDevelop and apply modular, rapid and small scale fluidic reactors, mixing devices and measurement techniques for organic polymer fluids and solutions using microfluidic technology.

    Partner with NCMC members to ensure relevant tool development with immediate impact

    Highlights
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    Alternative materials for Rapid PrototypingAlternative materials for Rapid Prototyping
    Thiolene resins make quasi-3D microfluidic devices with improved solvent resistance and lower gas permeability.
     
    a.Thiolene µF devicea.Thiolene µF device
    b.Thiolene master
    c.PDMS device replicated from thiolene master
    d.Thiolene sample array
     
    CRP Chip
    Controlled Radical Polymerization inside channels of microfluidic devices analogous to large-scale continuous flow reactors used in industry.
    CRP Chip  CRP Chip
     
    Phase Mapping of Polymer Blends and Solutions
    Thiolene resins make quasi-3D microfluidic devices with improved solvent resistance and lower gas permeability.
    Phase Mapping of Polymer Blends and Solutions
     

    Customers and Impact

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    Technical Accomplishments
  • Unique device and polymer library fabrication techniques, including some of the first molecular gradients
  • Fast, highly quantitative polymer blend phase diagram mapping
  • Complex rheology measurements from a combinatorial magneto-rheometer
  • First interfacial tension measurements from a microfluidic device
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    Recent Outreach
  • Organized conference session and NCMC workshop
  • Published > 10 publications and made > 15 contributions at national meetings
  • First NCMC Focus Project, designed to build a microfluidic device for high throughput interfacial tension (2 industrial partners)
    National Starch Chemical and Procter Gamble
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    NIST Contributors
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    Kathryn L. Beers*
    João T. Cabral
    Zuzanna T. Cygan
    Alexander I. Norman
    Howard J. Walls
    Tao Wu
    Chang Xu
    Jack F. Douglas
    Steven D. Hudson
    Michael J. Fasolka*
    Alamgir Karim
    Eric J. Amis
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    		 
    		 
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    Combinatorial Methods Group
    Polymers Division
    Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory
     
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