3D Printed PIL Sorbent Fabrication for Batch Production
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for fabricating polymeric ionic liquid (PIL) extraction sorbents are limited by high prepolymer material requirements, leading to high costs and waste, and struggle with achieving reproducible and customizable fiber-to-fiber extraction efficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A modified commercial resin 3D printer is used to reduce the volume of prepolymer mixture needed, allowing for the production of PIL extraction sorbents in microliter volumes. This system prints blade-type and fiber-type sorbents, demonstrating exceptional reproducibility and customization in extraction performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manual coating techniques are used to fabricate PIL-based SPME, then customization of sorbent coatings is achieved, but high-throughput fabrication with reproducible fiber-to-fiber extraction efficiencies cannot be accomplished
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical coating techniques with automated 3D printing technology. The 3D printing system uses digital models and automated deposition to apply sorbent coatings with precise control over thickness and uniformity, eliminating the variability inherent in manual coating while enabling high-throughput production of multiple fibers simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent controls coating parameters such as thickness, composition, and layering through digital programming of the 3D printing process. By adjusting printing parameters (layer height, deposition rate, material flow), the system achieves reproducible fiber-to-fiber extraction efficiencies while maintaining the ability to customize coatings for different analyte targets.
2Ease of manufacture
If 3D printing is used for extraction devices, then rapid prototyping and cost-effectiveness are achieved, but large volumes of prepolymer materials are required leading to high costs and waste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses only the necessary amount of prepolymer material for each printing operation, depositing material layer-by-layer only where needed to form the extraction device. This incremental approach prevents excessive material usage and waste, as the system builds objects additively rather than requiring large bulk material volumes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the extraction device into discrete layers and segments, printing them sequentially in small increments. This segmentation allows precise control over material deposition, enabling rapid prototyping while minimizing waste by only using the amount of prepolymer needed for each layer rather than requiring large volumes upfront.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The 3D printed PIL sorbents exhibit high reproducibility with relative standard deviations of peak areas below 20%, and show no statistical difference in extraction performance across different batches, indicating their potential for batch production and various analytical applications.
Implementation Method 1
a photoinitiator, and printing the PIL sorbents
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for 3D printed polymeric ionic liquid (PIL) extraction sorbents that includes a photocuring 3D printer utilizing a buildplate having a plurality of holes and a resin tank formed of a plurality of individual wells with a prepolymer monomer blended with a crosslinker and a photoinitiator is placed in the plurality of wells to form a plurality of 3D printed PIL sorbents on the buildplate, a fabrication device that prepares the polymeric ionic liquid (PIL) for extraction, at least one container for conditioning, extracting, and desorption of the polymeric ionic liquid (PIL); and a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to provide separation resulting in batch production of PIL sorbents. A polymeric ionic liquid (PIL) sorbent printed by 3D printer includes at least one PIL sorbent and can be in the form of a blade or fiber that has a high level of consistency.