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Micromachines
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Technological Advances in Polymer Microfabrication: Design and Processing Innovations
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Technological Advances in Polymer Microfabrication: Design and Processing Innovations

A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "D：Materials and Processing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 December 2021) | Viewed by 17990

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Davide Masato

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Plastics Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
Interests: polymer processing; product design; modeling and simulation; micro manufacturing; recycling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Technological advances in polymer microfabrication are continuously being made in both academia and industry, supporting product miniaturization, integration of new functionalities, and processing of new polymers. The boundaries of conventional part design, tool design, and processing need to be revisited and modified when approaching polymer microfabrication. Moreover, the complex interaction between materials, process states, and product properties needs to be studied to introduce product and process design innovations.

This Special Issue is dedicated to technological advances in polymer micro-manufacturing technologies. Invited and submitted articles should investigate the complex interaction between material, process, and property that characterizes product design and polymer processing at the micro-scale. This Special Issue is not limited with respect to the type of polymer processing technology. Authors are encouraged to report advances for both novel and well-established technologies. The goal is to provide state-of-the-art examples of new developments in polymer processing technologies and their application for innovative and functional plastic products.

We look forward to receiving your contributions!

Prof. Davide Masato
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Micromachines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • polymer processing
  • plastics manufacturing
  • sustainable manufacturing
  • material, process, and property interaction

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 3233 KiB  
Article
An Investigation on the Efficacy of Orotic Acid as a Bio-Nucleating Agent for Poly-Lactic Acid under Quiescent Condition and Injection Molding
by Peng Gao, Davide Masato, Animesh Kundu and John P. Coulter
Micromachines 2022, 13(12), 2186; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13122186 - 10 Dec 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1620
Abstract
Polylactic acid (PLA) is a bio-based biodegradable polymer and is considered to be an environmentally friendly alternative to petroleum-based polymers for various applications. Neat PLA requires an extended period at elevated temperatures to attain its maximum crystallinity, which can be mitigated by the [...] Read more.
Polylactic acid (PLA) is a bio-based biodegradable polymer and is considered to be an environmentally friendly alternative to petroleum-based polymers for various applications. Neat PLA requires an extended period at elevated temperatures to attain its maximum crystallinity, which can be mitigated by the addition of nucleating agents. Orotic acid is a natural heterocyclic nucleating agent in PLA. The effect of orotic acid on the crystallization behavior of a commercial, high-purity PLA was studied in detail. A differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique was utilized for this purpose. A new protocol for the quantitative characterization of crystallization kinetics from DSC data was developed. It was found that the total crystallinity increased from 26% to 63% at 80 °C with 1% content of orotic acid. Meanwhile, the crystallization rate of PLA-OA blends increased by ~10 times as compared to neat PLA. The addition of orotic acid also reduced the incubation time by >17% under quiescent conditions. Injection molding experiments showed that highly crystallized (>50%) PLA samples could be fabricated with a 1% addition of orotic acid. The required mold temperature was reduced from the 120 °C recommended by the supplier to 80 °C. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technological Advances in Polymer Microfabrication: Design and Processing Innovations)
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14 pages, 4738 KiB  
Article
Development of High-Sensitivity Electrically Conductive Composite Elements by Press Molding of Polymer and Carbon Nanofibers
by Shunsuke Aikawa, Yugang Zhao and Jiwang Yan
Micromachines 2022, 13(2), 170; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13020170 - 23 Jan 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2451
Abstract
Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) have various excellent properties, such as high tensile strength, electric conductivity and current density resistance, and thus have great application potential in electrical sensor development. In this research, electrically conductive composite elements using CNFs sandwiched by thermoplastic olefin (TPO) substrates [...] Read more.
Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) have various excellent properties, such as high tensile strength, electric conductivity and current density resistance, and thus have great application potential in electrical sensor development. In this research, electrically conductive composite elements using CNFs sandwiched by thermoplastic olefin (TPO) substrates were developed by press molding. The metal mold used for press molding was processed by a femtosecond laser to generate laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) on the mold surface. The aggregate of CNFs was then flexibly fixed by the LIPSSs imprinted on the TPO substrate surface to produce a wavy conductive path of CNFs. The developed composite elements exhibited a sharp increase in electrical resistance as strain increased. A high gauge factor of over 47 was achieved, which demonstrates high sensitivity against strain when the composite element is used as a strain gauge. Scanning electron microscope observation revealed that the TPO filled the spaces in the aggregate of CNFs after press molding, and the conductive path was extended by the tensile strain. The strain-induced dynamic changes of contact states of CNFs and CNFs networks are discussed based on the electrical performance measurement and cross-sectional observation of the elements. This research provides a new approach to the production of flexible and high sensitivity strain sensors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technological Advances in Polymer Microfabrication: Design and Processing Innovations)
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13 pages, 6030 KiB  
Article
Self-Assembled Monolayers of Alkanethiols on Nickel Insert: Characterization of Friction and Analysis on Demolding Quality in Microinjection Molding
by Jiachen Chen, Jin Yang, Mingyong Zhou and Can Weng
Micromachines 2021, 12(6), 636; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi12060636 - 29 May 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2343
Abstract
When the part geometry scaling down from macro to microscale level, the size-induced surface effect becomes significant in the injection molding process. The adhesion between polymer and nickel (Ni) mold insert during the process can lead to defects in necking, warping and deformation [...] Read more.
When the part geometry scaling down from macro to microscale level, the size-induced surface effect becomes significant in the injection molding process. The adhesion between polymer and nickel (Ni) mold insert during the process can lead to defects in necking, warping and deformation of microstructure. In this study, the self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) with low surface energy were deposited on the Ni surface to reduce the adhesion and further improve the demolding quality of the microstructure. Results show that the alkyl mercaptan SAMs with chemical bonds and close alignment can be successfully deposited on the surface of Ni by the solution deposition method. The contact angle, surface free energy, and friction coefficient before and after anti-adhesion treatment on the surface of mold insert were measured. In addition, the anti-adhesion properties of different alkyl mercaptan materials and the correspondingly replication quality of microstructure parts after injection molding were analyzed. It is found that the Ni mold insert treated by the perfluorodecanethiol has the best wear resistance and still shows good reproducibility at the 100th demolding cycle. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technological Advances in Polymer Microfabrication: Design and Processing Innovations)
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Review

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33 pages, 5966 KiB  
Review
Texturing Technologies for Plastics Injection Molding: A Review
by Davide Masato, Leonardo Piccolo, Giovanni Lucchetta and Marco Sorgato
Micromachines 2022, 13(8), 1211; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13081211 - 29 Jul 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4234
Abstract
Texturing is an engineering technology that can be used to enable surface functionalization in the plastics injection molding industry. A texture is defined as the geometrical modification of the topography by addition of surface features that are characterized by a smaller scale than [...] Read more.
Texturing is an engineering technology that can be used to enable surface functionalization in the plastics injection molding industry. A texture is defined as the geometrical modification of the topography by addition of surface features that are characterized by a smaller scale than the overall surface dimensions. Texturing is added to products to create novel functionalities of plastic products and tools, which can be exploited to modify interactions with other materials in contact with the surface. The geometry, dimensions, and positioning on the surface define the function of a texture and its properties. This work reviews and discuss the wide range of texturing technologies available in the industry. The advantages and limitations of each technology are presented to support the development of new surface engineering applications in the plastics manufacturing industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technological Advances in Polymer Microfabrication: Design and Processing Innovations)
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39 pages, 6023 KiB  
Review
PDMS Microfabrication and Design for Microfluidics and Sustainable Energy Application: Review
by Lin Lin and Chen-Kuei Chung
Micromachines 2021, 12(11), 1350; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi12111350 - 31 Oct 2021
Cited by 46 | Viewed by 6394
Abstract
The polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is popular for wide application in various fields of microfluidics, microneedles, biology, medicine, chemistry, optics, electronics, architecture, and emerging sustainable energy due to the intrinsic non-toxic, transparent, flexible, stretchable, biocompatible, hydrophobic, insulating, and negative triboelectric properties that meet different requirements. [...] Read more.
The polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is popular for wide application in various fields of microfluidics, microneedles, biology, medicine, chemistry, optics, electronics, architecture, and emerging sustainable energy due to the intrinsic non-toxic, transparent, flexible, stretchable, biocompatible, hydrophobic, insulating, and negative triboelectric properties that meet different requirements. For example, the flexibility, biocompatibility, non-toxicity, good stability, and high transparency make PDMS a good candidate for the material selection of microfluidics, microneedles, biomedical, and chemistry microchips as well as for optical examination and wearable electronics. However, the hydrophobic surface and post-surface-treatment hydrophobic recovery impede the development of self-driven capillary microchips. How to develop a long-term hydrophilicity treatment for PDMS is crucial for capillary-driven microfluidics-based application. The dual-tone PDMS-to-PDMS casting for concave-and-convex microstructure without stiction is important for simplifying the process integration. The emerging triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) uses the transparent flexible PDMS as the high negative triboelectric material to make friction with metals or other positive-triboelectric material for harvesting sustainably mechanical energy. The morphology of PDMS is related to TENG performance. This review will address the above issues in terms of PDMS microfabrication and design for the efficient micromixer, microreactor, capillary pump, microneedles, and TENG for more practical applications in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Technological Advances in Polymer Microfabrication: Design and Processing Innovations)
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