Title : Chips fabrication for kinetic methods in flow techniques
Abstract:
A review on the use of chips applied in flow techniques for kinetic methods of analysis. The use of these chips significantly simplifies the assembly of the devices, resulting in a clearer view of the analytical system. Different ways of producing them are described: the use of milling machines, filament 3D printers, stereolithographic 3D printers, and CO2 laser printers.
Milling machines offer the advantage of being able to manufacture parts using a wide variety of plastic materials, such as methacrylate (colorless and transparent, but not very resistant to solvents), Ultem, Kel-F, etc. However, they require making the parts in layers that then have to be glued together. 3D printers allow for obtaining three-dimensional parts directly.
Laser engravers can replace milling machines for the production of very small parts, also using different types of plastics. When the fiber laser beam strikes the surface of the material, the energy is concentrated at a very small point. This high concentration of energy causes the material to melt, evaporate, or ablate, creating a mark or engraving on the surface. The precision and depth of the engraving depend on the power, travel speed, and other parameters controlled by the fiber laser machine.
Filament printers have the disadvantage of producing porous parts, making them unsuitable for fluid conduction. In this respect, it is better to use stereolithographic printers, which produce non-porous parts, but they have the disadvantage of having a very limited variety of materials.
For the production of microchips, one of the preferred materials has been glass. In order to demonstrate the advantages of the systems described, various applications will be described, which they provide very satisfactory results reaching very low levels of determination.
