Glass Lid Research Articles

A High-Aspect-Ratio Deterministic Lateral Displacement Array for High-Throughput Fractionation.

Future industrial applications of microparticle fractionation with deterministic lateral displacement (DLD) devices are hindered by exceedingly low throughput rates. To enable the necessary high-volume flows, high flow velocities as well as high aspect ratios in DLD devices have to be investigated. However, no experimental studies have yet been conducted on the fractionation of bi-disperse suspensions containing particles below 10 µm with DLD at a Reynolds number (Re) above 60. Furthermore, devices with an aspect ratio of more than 4:1, which require advanced microfabrication, are not known in the DLD literature. Therefore, we developed a suitable process with deep reactive ion etching of silicon and anodic bonding of a glass lid to create pressure-resistant arrays. With a depth of 120 µm and a gap of 23 µm between posts, a high aspect ratio of 6:1 was realized, and devices were investigated using simulations and fractionation experiments. With the two-segmented array of 3° and 7° row shifts, critical diameters of 8 µm and 12 µm were calculated for low Re conditions, but it was already known that vortices behind the posts can shift these values to lower critical diameters. Suspensions with polystyrene particles in different combinations were injected with an overall flow rate of up to 15 mL/min, corresponding to Re values of up to 90. Suspensions containing particle combinations of 2 µm with 10 µm as well as 5 µm with 10 µm were successfully fractionated, even at the highest flow rate. Under these conditions, a slight widening of the displacement position was observed, but there was no further reduction in the critical size as it was for Re = 60. With an unprecedented fractionation throughput of nearly 1 L per hour, entirely new applications are being developed for chemical, pharmaceutical, and recycling technologies.

Polymer Hydrogel Sheets with Perpendicular Cross-Linking Gradient: Non-Monotonic Actuation and Ion-Specific Effects on the Actuation Kinetics.

Non-monotonous actuation, that is, different kinds of motion in response to a single stimulus, is observed in some natural materials but difficult to implement in synthetic systems. Herein, polymer hydrogel sheets made from polyacrylamide (PAAm) or poly(dimethylacrylamide) (PDMAA) with a cross-linking gradient along the sheet thickness are reported. These are obtained by thermally initiated free radical polymerization using a specially designed Teflon mold with a glass lid. The resulting PAAm hydrogels undergo non-monotonous actuation (rolling into a tube and re-opening) when exposed to aqueous media as a single external stimulus. Their actuation kinetics is tuned with anions that have specific ion effects in their interaction with the surrounding solvent and the polymer itself: structure-breaking chloride enhances the hydration of the polymer backbone, structure-making sulfate decreases it, and is thus slowing down the actuation kinetics of the PAAm hydrogels. The PDMAA gel rolls up instantaneously in aqueous NaCl and only re-opens after 24h. PDMAA actuation in aqueous Na2 SO4 is only moderate as the gel didnot swell in that solvent. Bilayer hydrogels made from PAAm and PDMAA (without gradient) show monotonic actuation, closing in NaCl solution and re-opening in Na2 SO4 .

A microfluidic magnetohydrodynamic pump based on a thermally bonded composite of glass and dry film photoresist

Miniaturized on-chip micropumps with no moving parts are intriguing components for advanced lab-on-chip systems. Magnetohydrodynamic pumping is one possibility but requires further research with respect to microsystems design and fabrication. In this paper, the design and fabrication of a magnetohydrodynamic micropump is discussed using a composite of patterned glass and stacked dry film photoresist as demonstrator platform. The magnetohydrodynamic pumping effect is achieved by the superposition of an electric ion current generated by integrated electrodes and an external magnetic field provided by a permanent magnet. As test electrolytes, potassium chloride with potassium hexacyanoferrate (III) and potassium hexacyane iron (II) were used. Seamless fluid channel sidewalls were achieved from stacked dry film resists, which appear to be cast from a single mold. A liquid-tight sealing of the microchannels was realized by covering them with a thermally bonded laser-structured glass lid. Although, a complete characterization of the pump performance was not yet realized, the micropump in its current state serves as a technology demonstrator for further research of microfluidic on-chip micropumps that utilize the magnetohydrodynamic effect and also for other microfluidic systems.

Performance enhancement of modified solar distillers using synthetic nanocomposites, reflectors, cover cooling, and ultrasonic foggers: Experimental approach

This work aimed to develop the thermo-economic performance of solar still (SS) via various additives. On the one hand, to improve the thermophysical properties of the basin saline water, two nanocomposites were utilized in the modified SSs (MSSs). In MSS1, chitosan @ graphene oxide (Cs@GO) was used, whereas chitosan @ nickel oxide (Cs@NiO), was provided in MSS2. The concentration influence on the yield was investigated considering three ratios (0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 wt%). The selected concentration (0.3 wt%) was used for the upcoming cases being better than others. At this weight ratio, the yield was augmented by 72.7, and 57.5 % for MSS1, and MSS2, respectively, compared to CSS. In the first case (Case I), a glass lid cooling unit was attached to the MSSs to boost the condensation rate. In the second case (Case II), top and bottom external reflectors were fixed on the MSSs. Then, Case III contained both cover cooling and reflectors. In addition to these enhancers, ultrasonic atomizers were placed on the basin of MSSs in Case IV. In each experiment, both MSS1 and MSS2 were simultaneously compared to conventional SS (CSS). All cases showed good thermo-economic performances. The best performance was obtained, especially in terms of yield, from MSS1 in Case IV, at which the production, energy, and exergy efficiencies were improved by 113.72, 96, and 167.62 %, respectively.

Experimental estimation of the performance of the homemade single slop Solar distilled

Water pollution and scarcity have created problems in all aspects of life, especially in poor countries. In This work the fabricated of a single slop distilled from cheap materials, with a glass lid for use for desalination. The study noted that solar radiation is of good magnitude in the study area for the implementation of solar energy projects. The solar-drip production increases with increased solar radiation, which increases the efficiency of the distilled, and the reduction of the water level in the basin decreases the speed of productivity and increases it, where efficiency was 40%, at the highest in the experiments 1.5 mm then rose to 50% at 1mm and increased to more than 65% at 0.5 mm.

An experimental investigation on performance enhancement of twin wedge solar still with concrete basin for increased fresh water production

ABSTRACT Passive solar stills are simple and economic water treatment systems which apply natural hydrological cycle to transform brackish and saline water into freshwater useful to the society. This paper reports the performance of aTwin Wedge Solar Still with concrete basin (TWSS(CONC)) designed suitably for implementation in Green Building Applications. Through an experimental investigation, the performance of this TWSSsystem is compared with that of Conventional Solar Still (CSS) and the effect of including an Aluminum liner to the concrete basin of TWSS(TWSS(CONC+Al)) is also studied. The experimentation was carried out at South Indian location of Kattankulathur (Longitude/Latitude: 88.6241° E/24.3636° N), on a summer day. The distillate yields of the CSS, TWSS(CONC)and TWSS(CONC+Al) were obtained as 1.90 l/m2, 2.77 l/m2 and 4.17 l/m2, correspondingly. The thermal efficiency of TWSS(CONC+Al), was 1.8 times more than TWSS(CONC) and 2.6 times more than the CSS. The TWSS(CONC+Al), delivered freshwater at the cost of $ 0.027 per liter. The Twin Wedge shaped glass lid allowed more solar radiation to be received by the basin as well as increased the condensation surface. The aluminum lining inTWSS(CONC+Al) aided proper distribution of heat in the basin and increased the evaporation rate. The thermal energy which was stockpiled in the concrete basin enabled to maintain a significant difference between thebasin water and condensing surface temperatures during the hours when the solar radiation intensity was low. The payback time period for TWSS(CONC+Al)was estimated to be only 9 months.

MEMS Vibrometer for Structural Health Monitoring Using Guided Ultrasonic Waves

Structural health monitoring of lightweight constructions made of composite materials can be performed using guided ultrasonic waves. If modern fiber metal laminates are used, this requires integrated sensors that can record the inner displacement oscillations caused by the propagating guided ultrasonic waves. Therefore, we developed a robust MEMS vibrometer that can be integrated while maintaining the structural and functional compliance of the laminate. This vibrometer is directly sensitive to the high-frequency displacements from structure-borne ultrasound when excited in a frequency range between its first and second eigenfrequency. The vibrometer is mostly realized by processes earlier developed for a pressure sensor but with additional femtosecond laser ablation and encapsulation. The piezoresistive transducer, made from silicon, is encapsulated between top and bottom glass lids. The eigenfrequencies are experimentally determined using an optical micro vibrometer setup. The MEMS vibrometer functionality and usability for structural health monitoring are demonstrated on a customized test rig by recording application-relevant guided ultrasonic wave packages with a central frequency of 100 kHz at a distance of 0.2 m from the exciting ultrasound transducer.

Polyphasic Characterization of Four Aspergillus Species as Potential Biocontrol Agents for White Mold Disease of Bean.

The genus Aspergillus comprises several species that play pivotal roles in agriculture. Herein, we morphologically and physiologically characterized four genetically distinct Aspergillus spp., namely A. japonicus, A. niger, A. flavus, and A. pseudoelegans, and examined their ability to suppress the white mold disease of bean caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in vitro and under greenhouse conditions. Seriation type of Aspergillus spp. correlates with conidiospores discharge as detected on the Petri glass lid. Members of Nigri section cover their conidial heads with hard shells after prolonged incubation. In addition, sporulation of the tested Aspergillus isolates is temperature sensitive as it becomes inhibited at low temperatures and the colonies become white. Examined Aspergillus spp. were neither infectious to legumes nor aflatoxigenic as confirmed by HPLC except for A. flavus and A. pseudoelegans which, secreted 5 and 1 ppm of aflatoxin B1, respectively. Co-inoculations of Sclerotinia’s mycelium or sclerotia with a spore suspension of Aspergillus spp. inhibited their germination on PDA at 18 °C and 28 °C, and halted disease onset on detached common bean and soybean leaves. Similarly, plants treated with A. japonicus and A. niger showed the highest survival rates compared to untreated plants. In conclusion, black Aspergillus spp. are efficient biocides and safe alternatives for the management of plant diseases, particularly in organic farms.

Thin film encapsulation for quantum dot light-emitting diodes using a-SiN x :H/SiO x N y /hybrid SiO x barriers.

A facile thin film encapsulation (TFE) method having a triple-layered structure of a-SiNx:H/SiOxNy/hybrid SiOx (ASH) on QD-LEDs was performed utilizing both reproducible plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and simple dip-coating processes without adopting atomic layer deposition (ALD). The ASH films fabricated on a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate show a high average transmittance of 88.80% in the spectral range of 400–700 nm and a water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) value of 7.3 × 10−4 g per m2 per day. The measured time to reach 50% of the initial luminance (T50) at initial luminance values of 500, 1000, and 2000 cd m−2 was 711.6, 287.7, and 78.6 h, respectively, and the extrapolated T50 at 100 cd m−2 is estimated to be approximately 9804 h, which is comparable to that of the 12 112 h for glass lid-encapsulated QD-LEDs. This result demonstrates that TFE with the ASH films has the potential to overcome the conventional drawbacks of glass lid encapsulation.

Development and Performance Evaluation of a Box-Type Solar Cooker

The attributes of size optimization and good heat storage capability coupled with the efficient performance have made box type solar cooker a preferable cooker among its peers. This research work developed and evaluated the performance of the box-type solar cooker. It comprises a rectangular box with the inner walls forming the cooking chamber made into the shape of an inverted, truncated square-based pyramid. Insulating glass wool is used to fill the gap between the internal and external walls. The cooker collector surface consists of a double glazed lid, which is rigidly framed and hinged to one side of the box. A framed reflector is also incorporated to boost the isolation and cover the glazing when the cooker is not functioning. The reflector, when in use, is always oriented towards the sun. The cooking chamber is actually formed by aluminum tray with slanting sides, and the base is painted matte black and adapted as the absorber. Flexible tube is passed through the side walls to the exterior to release steam into the surrounding. Access to the cooking chamber is by lifting the jointed glass lid. Sensible and no-load tests were conducted at different atmospheric temperatures. The ambient temperatures recorded for four consecutive days were: 303, 304.5, 302 and 306K. The increase in temperature of the cooker was recorded at 20 minutes interval. The maximum absorber temperatures during no-load test at the atmospheric temperatures recorded were: 378, 380, 374 and 383K respectively. The cooker was also used to boil 450 ml of water and 250 g of rice. It was observed that it took about 38 minutes for the rice to be cooked during sensible test. The efficiency of the cooker was also found to be 72.21%.

Soy oil conjugated linoleic acid production with solar light photoisomerization.

The objectives were (1) to produce soy oil conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) triacylglycerides in large quantities with solar light photoisomerization, utilizing iodine as a photosensitizer, (2) to study the temperature variation in the photoisomerized oil during various hours of the day, and (3) to study the variations in solar light intensity during various hours of the day. A 0.5% iodine containing soy oil in glass box with a glass lid was photoisomerized, under natural solar light for 0, 11, and 27 days, and CLA isomers were determined with gas chromatography with flame ionization detector. After 27 days of solar light photoisomerization, the cis-9, trans-11 CLA; other cis, trans CLA; trans-10, cis-12 CLA; trans, trans CLA, and total CLA were found to be 0.62 ± 0.05%, 1.04 ± 0.09%, 0.54 ± 0.11%, 6.16 ± 0.68%, and 8.37 ± 0.90%, respectively. The concentration of CLA isomers between 0 and 11 days was significantly different (p < .05), and the concentration of CLA isomers between 0 and 27 days was also significantly different (p < .05). There is no significant difference (p > .05) in CLA concentration between 11 and 27 days treatment. The CLA was not found in control soy oil samples. The CLA isomers were measured with GDFID in 45 min instead of 120min. The temperature of the edible oil in glass boxes ranged from 26 °C(8 a.m.) to 56 °C(1 p.m.). The light intensity ranged from 4,146 lux (7 p.m.) to 95,490 lux (12 p.m.). Glass lid on the glass box affected light transmission to a small but statistically significant extent (p < .05). The CLA isomers could be energy efficiently and inexpensively produced in soy oil by solar light photoisomerization, at low temperature and without needing expensive reactor vessels or catalysts. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: CLA was produced effectively with the iodine sensitized solar light photoisomerization. CLA is produced in large quantities, inexpensively, for possible food additive applications. Produced CLA is in the form of stable triacylglycerides.

A Microfluidic Platform Equipped With Magnetic Nano Films for Organizing Bio-Particle Arrays and Long-Term Studies

We introduce a microfluidic platform that combines hydrodynamic trapping and magnetic switching techniques for precise manipulating magnetic micro-particles and forming particle and cell arrays, in a massively parallel manner. In the first step, hydrodynamic forces transport and then trap the single particles and cells in a large array. Then, magnetic forces transfer them into adjacent low-shear compartments which are used as single cell culture micro-chambers. Furthermore, using this tool, we run single cell assays and perform drug screening as well as mRNA analysis experiments. The flawless magnetic transport in this work is obtained by growing a non-fouling layer on microchannel surfaces. The chip treatment became possible by a novel microfluidic chip design and a new simple self-aligned fabrication method, based on a silicon substrate, magnetic nano thin-films embedded in the microfluidic walls, and a glass lid. The resulting chip is an innovative tool suitable for long-term single cell phenotypic and genotypic studies, with applications in immunology and medicine.

Contamination issues as a challenge in quality control and quality assurance in microplastics analytics

Microplastics are widely distributed environmental contaminants. To understand their impacts on the environment and health, more high-quality results are needed. Since microplastics are present in every environment, including indoor air, proper precautions must be adopted in order to prevent contamination of samples and overestimation of environmental concentrations. Thus, to guarantee a proper quality of results, researchers must adopt strict contamination control measures. This review was conducted to understand current contamination control practices. A total of 50 studies published in 2019 were reviewed, including sampling of biota, air, soil, sediment, freshwater and saltwater, regarding 10 contamination control parameters. Overall, studies usually only comply with 4 out of 10 of these measures, which include avoiding the use of plastic materials, covering samples with glass lids or aluminum foil, filtering solutions, or running procedural blanks. The importance of these measures is also exemplified with real observation of contamination. Finally, seven measures to control for contamination are suggested in order to improve the quality of results in microplastic sampling in future assessments.

Ultralow Water Permeation Barrier Films of Triad a-SiNx:H/n-SiOxNy/h-SiOx Structure for Organic Light-Emitting Diodes.

Organic electronic devices such as organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), quantum dot LEDs, and organic photovoltaics are promising technologies for future electronics. However, achieving long-term stability of organic-based optoelectronic devices has been regarded as a crucial problem to be solved. In this work, a simple and reproducible fabrication method for ultralow water permeation barrier films having a triple-layered (triad) hydrogenated silicon nitride (a-SiNx:H)/nanosilicon oxynitride (n-SiOxNy)/hybrid silicon oxide (h-SiOx) multistructure is presented. Two triad (a-SiNx:H/n-SiOxNy/h-SiOx)n=2 multistructure barrier films are deposited on both sides of a poly(ethylene terephthalate) substrate using a combination of low-pressure plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition and dip coating. The deposited films show a high average transmittance (400-700 nm) of 84% and an ultralow water vapor transmission rate of 2 × 10-6 g/m2/day. In the electroluminescence characteristics of OLEDs encapsulated with two triad barrier films, the operational lifetime (T50) of OLEDs is 1584 h, which is almost similar to that (1416 h) of OLEDs encapsulated with a glass lid.

Ekonomi Kreatif, Upaya Meningkatkan Ekonomi Masyarakat Desa dan Mengurangi Dampak Limbah Plastik

The aim of Kuliah Kerja Mahasiswa (KKM) Banten Jaya University (Unbaja) 2019 are improves the skills and creativity of the society of Cikolelet, specifically for women / housewives. The problem that is being face at the moment is that people don't understand how to utilizing used plastic drink waste that can have economic value. The method of implementing this program is (1) field monitoring, interviews, and exploring potentials, (2) providing handicraft training from waste materials used in plastic beverage glass lid (3) providing knowledge on how to do online marketing of handicraft products. The result of this program is that the society of Cikolelet have the skills and creativity in managing plastic waste that can have economic value. With this program it is hoped that the society of Cikolelet can improve their creativity so that they can support Cikolelet as a Tourism Village.

Optimisation of the droplet split design for high acoustic particle enrichment in droplet microfluidics

We have characterised three droplet split designs for acoustic particle enrichment in water-in-oil droplets. The microfluidic channel design included a droplet generation junction, acoustic focusing channel and a trident-shaped droplet split. The microfluidic channels were dry-etched in silicon and sealed with glass lids by anodic bonding. To each microfluidic chip a piezoelectric transducer was glued, and at actuation of the transducer at the fundamental resonance frequency of the acoustic focusing channel (1.91–1.93 MHz), a half wavelength standing wave field was created between the channel walls. The acoustic force focused the encapsulated particles (3.2 μm, 4.8 μm and 9.9 μm diameter polystyrene microbeads) to the centre-line of the droplets, and when the droplets reached the droplet split the particles were directed into the centre daughter droplets. The results show that the design of the droplet split and the flow ratio between the centre and side outlet channels are the main factors that affect the particle enrichment and particle recovery in the centre daughter droplets. The highest particle enrichment was achieved in the droplet split design having the smallest centre channel (38 μm wide). Using this microfluidic chip design, we demonstrate up to 16.7-fold enrichment of 9.9 μm diameter polystyrene microbeads in the centre daughter droplets. This is almost three times higher particle enrichment than what has previously been presented using other intra-droplet particle enrichment techniques. Moreover, the acoustic technique is label-free and biocompatible.

A low cost ingenious approach for ultraviolet decontamination of N95 filtering face-piece respirators to deal with dwindling supply during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 is rapidly evolving and hospitals are facing the issue of shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) due to stringent requirements of PPE use. For reuse of N95 filtering face-piece respirators (N95FFR), we prepared an ingenious cabinet with ultraviolet light C (UV-C) using scarce material available during the lockdown period. Materials and Methods: Since like many other microbiology laboratories in medical colleges, we did not have access to viruses, we could not test our product with them. We thus tested the efficacy of the cabinet to decontaminate material using 0.5 McFarland standard broth of Escherichia coli 25922. The broth was exposed to UV-C inside the cabinet for 15 and 30 minutes in Petri dishes, with and without lids. The broth was subcultured on nutrient agar plates, both pre and post exposure. We also could not test integrity and static charge of the respirators; we relied on CDC data on the same. Results: It was observed that there was at least 4 log reduction (99.99%) in the number of viable E. coli on exposure to UV-C for 15 as well as 30 minutes. The plates with glass lids on did not show any reduction in number of viable bacilli. The reduction in number of E. coli was taken as surrogate marker for the reduction of ssRNA viruses. Conclusions: UV-C inside an ingeniously made cabinet can be used to decontaminate N95 FFR in exceptional circumstances of reduced supply under lockdown conditions of a pandemic.

Dynamics of colloidal particles in microchannels under combined pressure and electric potential gradients

Dynamics of charged sub-micron or colloidal particles in a microfluidic device through cross-stream migration under combined pressure gradients and electric potential gradients was demonstrated using confocal microscopy. The microfluidic device was a rectangular cross-section poly(dimethylsiloxane) or PDMS microchannel sealed with a borosilicate glass lid to form a hybrid PDMS-glass device. We postulate that the reported particle migration may arise in response to electrophoretic particle slip, i.e., the difference between the particle and fluid velocities, due to the applied electric potential gradient across the microchannel. Colloidal particle migration was observed either towards or away from the microchannel walls depending on the relative directions for the applied potential and pressure gradients. When pressure gradient driving the fluid flow and potential gradient were applied in the same direction, colloidal particles migrate away from the microchannel walls. In the case of opposite directions for the pressure and potential gradients, colloidal particles migrate towards the microchannel walls and subsequently assemble into distinct bands next to both the bottom glass and top PDMS walls. The results reported here demonstrate that the particle dynamics due to electrophoresis in Poiseuille flow within a microchannel result in non-uniform spatial distributions of colloidal particles via cross-stream migration, with the ability to assemble particles into distinct band structures at channel walls. Such manipulation, once fully realized, could lead to several microfluidics applications in material synthesis, particle separation, and biosensing.

Water Desalination System using Parabolic Trough with Varying Glass Thickness

Three quarters of the earth’s surface is covered with water[1]. Based on a survey, with the world’s population growing every year, the supply of usable water is not keeping enough with the required amount of water needed for survival. Nowadays, clean water has become a business which produces constraints when it comes to accessibility. Here in the Philippines, there are various diseases every year which relates to unsafe drinking water which may sometimes lead to death. The researchers want to know the effectivity of the assessed solar desalination system, how much desalinated water could this system provide and how long does it take for this amount to be produced in a given day. This study uses a parabolic trough which is the main means of harnessing solar energy and transferring this energy to the saltwater container which will heat up the pre-specified amount of saline water. The vapor will evaporate and the condensate will be trapped in the glass lid and routed to a desalinated water container. An evaluation is made to know the effective glass thickness for the device, the 3mm, 6mm and 10 mm thickness has been assessed and after the testing phase, it has been found out that the 10 mm glass thickness produced the optimum results. It is able to produce a liter of desalinated water out of 5000 mL of saline water. It is then observed that the 10mm glass thickness has the highest volume conversion efficiency of 23.10 % , followed by the 6mm glass thickness of 21.90% and the 3mm glass thickness of 17.30%.

Suppression of viewing angle dependence of TEOLED devices with internal nano-wrinkle structure

Abstract In order to suppress the viewing angle dependence of top emission organic emitting diodes (TEOLEDs) with strong microcavity effect, we introduced randomly distributed nano-wrinkle structure beneath highly reflective anode. By applying such nano-wrinkle pattern, viewing angle dependence and color shift could be improved compared with that without nano-structure [e.g. Δ (u’, v’): 0.077 → 0.025]. However, current efficiency reduced more than half. To compensate this problem, we additionally introduced index matching epoxy filler between encapsulation glass and TEOLED device. By this approach, current efficiency drop of device with nano-wrinkle structure could be improved. For example, the efficiency dropped by 7.7% when we filled the epoxy filler between capping layer and glass lid while, it decreased by 30.8% if we don't use epoxy filler. We found that index matching helps to extract more light confined inside TEOLED, so device performance degradation could be minimized. In addition, when we attached a circular polarizer film to these devices, depolarization was observed in most cases, but we were able to achieve a perfect black state from the devices with nano-wrinkle structure underneath reflective anode.