• Clean Technology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.283-288
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• 2019

Monodisperse microparticles has been particularly enabling for various applications in the encapsulation and delivery of pharmaceutical agents. The microfluidic devices are attractive candidates to produce highly uniform droplets that serve as templates to form monodisperse microparticles. The microfluidic devices that have micro-scale channel allow precise control of the balance between surface tension and viscous forces in two-phase flows. One of its essential abilities is to generate highly monodisperse droplets. In this paper, a microfluidic approach for preparing monodisperse polycaprolactone (PCL) microparticles is presented. The microfluidic devices that have a flow-focusing generator are manufactured by soft-lithography using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The crucial factors in the droplet generation are the controllability of size and monodispersity of the microdroplets. For this, the volumetric flow rates of the dispersed phase of oil solution and the continuous phase of water to generate monodisperse droplets are optimized. As a result, the optimal flow condition for droplet dripping region that is able to generate uniform droplet is found. Furthermore, the droplets containing PCL polymer by solvent evaporation after collection of droplet from device is solidified to generate the microparticle. The particle size can be controlled by tuning the flow rate and the size of the microchannel. The monodispersity of the PCL particles is measured by a coefficient of variation (CV) below 5%.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.491-494
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• 2010

Colored, electrophoretic polymer nanoparticles of poly (styrene-co-divinylbenzene-co-vinyl acetate)[poly(St-co-DVB-co-VAc)] were prepared by emulsifier-free emulsion co-polymerization and reactive dyeing. The emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization of styrene, divinyl benzene and vinyl acetate was carried out at $70^{\circ}C$ for 20 hrs to obtain monodisperse polymer nanoparticles of poly(St-co-DVB-co-VAc) with an average diameter of 180~200 nm. These nanoparticles were transformed into poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene-co-vinyl alcohol) [poly(St-co-DVB-co-VA)] nanoparticles through the saponification reaction. The poly(St-co-DVB-co-VA) nanoparticles were treated with reactive dyes to obtain the colored, monodisperse electrophoretic nanoparticles, and their morphology and surface charge were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, UV/Vis absorbance and zeta-potentiometry.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.60 no.1
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• pp.139-144
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• 2022

This study reports a microfluidic approach to produce monodisperse hydrogel microparticles in a simple and highly efficient manner. Specifically, we produce double emulsion drops with a thin oil shell surrounding an aqueous prepolymer solution, which is solidified via UV-induced free radical polymerization. When they are dispersed in an aqueous solution, the oil shell is dewetted due to the absence of surfactants, resulting in production of highly uniform hydrogel microparticles (C.V.=1%). Results show that production of monodisperse hydrogel microparticles with controllable size and composition can be achieved with minimal use of oil unlike water-in-oil (w/o) single emulsion-based approach. Furthermore, in-depth study of flow patterns in microfluidic device using a phase diagram exhibits a crucial relationship among relative flow rates while providing windows of readily controllable parameters for reliable manufacturing of hydrogel microparticles.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.777-786
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• 1996

Uniform sized-porous poly(acrylonitrile-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) (PAN) microgels were synthesized by seed polymerization using monodisperse polystyrene seed particles. The effect of weight ratios of monomer/seed (M/S) and diluent/monomer (DIM), concentration of crosslinking agent and the type of diluent was investigated on the formation of PAN microgels. The particle size distribution of PAN microgels was found to be monodisperse in that the weight ratio of M/S is less than 50. More porous microgels were formed and the interstices between small sized interior microspheres present inside of PAN microgels were also smaller with increasing crosslinking agent concentration. Well-developed pore structure was found to be in that weight ratio of D/M is 1 and toluene is used as a diluent.

• Proceedings of the Korean Fiber Society Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.449-450
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• 2007

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.733-737
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• 2012

This study reports the microfluidic preparation of monodisperse multiple emulsions using hydrodynamic control. To generate multiple emulsions, we fabricate a microfluidic capillary device based on co-flowing stream without any surface modification of microchannels. Based on the system, we can successfully generate multiple emulsions (W/O/W) using water containing 0.5 wt% Tween 20, n-hexadecane with 5 wt% Span 80, and 10 wt% poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) aqueous solution, respectively. Furthermore, we control the number of inner droplets by modulation of flow rate of inner fluid at fixed flow rate of middle and outer fluid. The multiple emulsions having precisely controlled inner droplets' size and number can be applicable for multiple chemical reactions as an isolated microreactor.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.761-766
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• 2018

Droplet-based microfluidic device has led to transformational new approaches in various applications including materials synthesis and high-throughput screening. However, efforts are required to enhance the production rate to industrial scale because of low production rate in a single droplet generator. In here, we present a method for enhancing production rate of monodisperse droplets via parallelization of flow-focusing generators. For this, we fabricated a three-dimensional monolithic elastomer device (3D MED) that has the 3D channel structures in a single layer, using a double-sided imprinting method. We demonstrated that the production rate of monodisperse droplet is increased by controlling the flow rate of continuous and dispersed phases in 3D MED with 8 droplet generators. Thus, we anticipate that this microfluidic system will be used in wide area including microparticle synthesis and screening system via encapsulation of various materials and cells in monodisperse droplets.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.632-637
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• 2014

A microfluidic method for the in situ production of monodispersed alginate hydrogels using biocompatible polymer gelation by crosslinker mass transfer is described. Gelation of the hydrogel was achieved in situ by the dispersed calcium ion in the microfluidic device. The capillary number (Ca) and the flow rate of the disperse phase which are important operating parameters mainly influenced the formation of three distinctive flow regions, such as dripping, jetting, and unstable dripping. Under the formation of dripping region, monodispersed alginate hydrogels having a narrow size distribution (C.V=2.71%) were produced in the microfluidic device and the size of the hydrogels, ranging from 30 to $60{\mu}m$, could be easily controlled by varying the flow rate, viscosity, and interfacial tension. This simple microfluidic method for the production of monodisperse alginate hydrogels shows strong potential for use in delivery systems of foods, cosmetics, inks, and drugs, and spherical alginate hydrogels which have biocompatibility will be applied to cell transplantation.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.215-225
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• 2015

Recently, the importance of energy saving and alternative energy is significantly increasing due to energy depletion and the phase change material (PCM) research for saving energy is also actively investigating. In this research, the membrane emulsification using SPG membrane was used to make various microencapsulated phase change material (MPCM) particles which were comprised of $Rubitherms^{(R)}$ (RT-21 and RT-24) core and silica coating. We investigated the pressure of the dispersion phase, the concentration of surfactant, and the ratio of $Rubitherm^{(R)}$ and silica to prepare various MPCM particles. The DSC and TGA were used to examine the heat stability and latent heat properties. Also, PSA, SEM, and optical microscopy were used to confirm the size of $Rubitherm^{(R)}$ particles and the thickness of silica shell. The average of particle size was $7-8{\mu}m$. And, FT-IR was also used to enforce the qualitative analysis. Finally, the MPCM particles obtained from membrane emulsification showed monodispersed size distribution and the heat stability and latent heat were kept up to 80% compared to pure $Rubitherm^{(R)}$. So, it can be effectively used for wallpaper, buildings and interior products for energy saving as PCMs.

• Proceedings of the Korean Fiber Society Conference
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• 1999.04a
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• pp.63-66
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• 1999