Wed June 19th 2013
16:00
ZH286
Seminar Microdroplet impact: visualization, analysis and applications
Claas-Willem Visser

Details:

3D printing is one of today’s most promising manufacturing methods. Not only basic materials such as plastics can be printed, but also metals [1] and even living stem cells [2] have been successfully deposited (eventually aiming for the construction of complete organs).

Despite such achievements, the printing of many materials remains extremely challenging. A key aspect is the production and impact of microdroplets. However, creating fast, reproducible microdroplets remains a challenge, i.e. their impact cannot be studied. Moreover, the complete impact for fast droplets takes place in <1 microsecond, and even the fastest commercial cameras cannot resolve the impact dynamics for these time scales.

In this talk, I will discuss several methods to create, visualize and apply microdroplets. The results include high-resolution side-view movies of their impact, showing the spreading dynamics including the formation of a rim. A complementary camera allowed for bottom-view interferometry, showing the shape of the droplets during impact and the entrainment of air.



[1] Kuznetsov, A. I., R. Kiyan, and B. N. Chichkov. "Laser fabrication of 2D and 3D metal nanoparticle structures and arrays." Optics express 18.20 (2010): 21198-21203.

[2] Faulkner-Jones, Alan, et al. "Development of a valve-based cell printer for the formation of human embryonic stem cell spheroid aggregates." Biofabrication 5.1 (2013): 015013.
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