Fused deposition modeling 3D printing (FDM-3DP) employing electrically conductive filaments has recently been recognized as an exceptionally attractive tool for the manufacture of sensing devices. However, capabilities of 3DP electrodes to measure electric properties of materials have not yet been explored. To bridge this gap, we employ bimaterial FDM-3DP combining electrically conductive and insulating filaments to build an integrated platform for sensing conductivity and permittivity of liquids by impedance measurements. The functionality of the device is demonstrated by measuring conductivity of aqueous potassium chloride solution and bottled water samples and permittivity of water, ethanol, and their mixtures. We further implement an original idea of applying impedance measurements to investigate dimensions of 3DP channels as base structures of microfluidic devices, complemented by their optical microscopic analysis. We demonstrate that FDM-3DP allows the manufacture of microchannels of width down to 80 μm.

• MeSH
• Printing, Three-Dimensional MeSH
• Potassium Chloride MeSH
• Ethanol MeSH
• Microfluidics * MeSH
• Drinking Water * MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Potassium Chloride MeSH
• Ethanol MeSH
• Drinking Water * MeSH

The combination of computer assisted design and 3D printing has recently enabled fast and inexpensive manufacture of customized 'reactionware' for broad range of electrochemical applications. In this work bi-material fused deposition modeling 3D printing is utilized to construct an integrated platform based on a polyamide electrochemical cell and electrodes manufactured from a polylactic acid-carbon nanotube conductive composite. The cell contains separated compartments for the reference and counter electrode and enables reactants to be introduced and inspected under oxygen-free conditions. The developed platform was employed in a study investigating the electrochemical oxidation of aqueous hydrazine coupled to its bulk reaction with carbon dioxide. The analysis of cyclic voltammograms obtained in reaction mixtures with systematically varied composition confirmed that the reaction between hydrazine and carbon dioxide follows 1/1 stoichiometry and the corresponding equilibrium constant amounts to (2.8 ± 0.6) × 103. Experimental characteristics were verified by results of numerical simulations based on the finite-element-method.

• Keywords
• 3D printing, Carbon dioxide, Electrochemical measurements, Hydrazine, Numerical simulations,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH