Abstract
Herein, we present the fabrication of a novel vertical T-junction based droplet generator using a desktop 3D printer and the production of a variety of size of polymer particles by tuning the vertical T-junction gap height (hg) with ease. The droplet generator device consists of two main components: an internal thread nut with a vertical T-junction droplet generator unit, and a screw with an external thread for adjusting hg. The two components were fabricated by a 3D printer and assembled simply by a bolt-and-nut combination. The clockwise or counter-clockwise rotation of the screw is converted into the downward and upward linear motion of the screw, adjusting the hg value. The hg value can be tuned precisely from 0 to 750 μm by designing 75 control teeth on the top of the screw. The size of the produced droplets is proportional to the hg value. The size range of the droplets was 39–1404 μm, when hg changed from 20 to 200 μm. We synthesized poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) particles using the droplet as a reactor, and accordingly the PEGDA particle size could be controlled. Our proposed 3D printed droplet generator is rapid, simple and cost-effective to be fabricated without need of lithographic processes.
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