Electrokinetic pumping of nonpolar solvents using ionic fluid
AssigneeEmpire Technology Development LLC
InventorSeth Adrian Miller
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Abstract
Techniques are generally described that include electrokinetic pumping an emulsion comprising an ionic fluid and a nonpolar fluid to promote flow of the ionic fluid by electro-osmotic flow and drag the nonpolar fluid by viscous drag forces. In some examples, the electrokinetic pump may be utilized to deliver one or more reagents within a fluidic reactor system, such as a micro-scale reactor system. In some additional examples, a reagent may be dissolved in the nonpolar fluid of a first emulsion and pumped through the electrokinetic pump to a mixing channel to allow the reagent of the first emulsion to react with a reagent of second emulsion to form a reactive product.
Claims14
A method of carrying a nonpolar fluid through an electro-osmotic pump, the method comprising:
- mixing a first ionic fluid with a first nonpolar fluid to create a first emulsion;
- wherein the first ionic fluid is immiscible with the first nonpolar fluid;
- after mixing, subsequently introducing the first emulsion to a first channel in the electro-osmotic pump, the first channel comprising a first electrode spaced apart from a second electrode;
- and
- applying a voltage difference between the first and second electrodes to promote flow of the first emulsion through the first channel.
The method of 1 wherein applying a voltage difference to promote flow comprises flowing the first emulsion including the first ionic fluid and the nonpolar fluid through the first channel.
The method of 1 wherein mixing comprises providing the first emulsion of the first ionic fluid and the first nonpolar fluid in a reservoir fluidly connected to the first channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.