Microfluidic chips utilize micromachining techniques to process tiny channels and microstructures onto micron-scale material surfaces to enable microfluidic control and manipulation. Common microfluidic chip polymer (plastic) materials include COC cyclic olefin polymers, PMMA and PC materials.
COC
COC is a thermoplastic colorless and transparent polymer material with good physical properties and chemical stability, which is widely used in microfluidic chips.COC is characterized by non-toxicity, high-temperature and high-pressure resistance, and does not absorb water or proteins, etc., so it is very suitable for bioanalysis and chemical reactions in microfluidic chips.
PMMA
PMMA is an organic glass material characterized by high transparency and low cost. It is physically and chemically stable and is not easily affected by chemicals and ultraviolet rays.
PMMA materials are also easy to process and mold, so they are commonly used in microfluidic chip preparation. However, PMMA has poor temperature resistance and mechanical strength and is not suitable for high temperature or high pressure experimental conditions.
PC
PC material is a polycarbonate material with heat resistance, high strength, high toughness, etc. PC material has better chemical resistance and can withstand a certain degree of chemical corrosion and acid and alkali solutions.
Therefore, PC materials are often used in microfluidic chips under high pressure or high temperature experimental conditions.PC materials also have good transparency and can be used for microscopic observation.
Comparison of various materials
| Material | vantage | drawbacks |
| COC | High heat resistance, high pressure resistance, non-toxic, low protein adsorption rate, less susceptible to chemical corrosion | Higher cost and susceptibility to organic solvents |
| PMMA | Low cost, easy to process, high transparency, no water absorption, no protein adsorption | Low heat and pressure resistance, susceptible to chemicals and UV rays |
| PC | High temperature, high pressure, high toughness, high strength, chemical corrosion resistance | High cost, susceptible to UV light, surface susceptible to mechanical scratches and chemical corrosion |
Dxfluidics offers the above microfluidic processing material sheets.
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