METHOD FOR TRANSFERRING HETEROGENEOUS LIQUIDS IN MICROCHANNELS WITHOUT THE OCCURRENCE OF MIXING

摘要

In the method for mixing-free transport of homogeneous liquids in microchannels a heterogeneous liquid flow ( 14 ) is autonomously divided into portions, transported over a distance and then autonomously recombined. When the flow is divided into portions, individual volumes of a second liquid ( 16 ), which may be but must not be homogeneous, are introduced between volume fractions lying one behind the other of the heterogeneous liquid flow ( 14 ). While the volume fractions of the heterogeneous liquid ( 14 ) that lye close to one another would mix with each other without this measure being taken, separation of the individual volume fractions allows these volume fractions, and thus the heterogeneous liquid ( 14 ), to be transported over large distances without any mixing occurring. Treatment of the volume fractions of the heterogeneous liquid ( 14 ) requires separation of the liquid flow ( 12 ) of alternating volume fractions of the two liquids ( 14,16 ) such that again two flows are produced, one of which being the heterogeneous starting liquid and the other being the second liquid. Since both processes can take place autonomously by self-organization of the phases, an overall solution for the mixing-free transport of a heterogeneous liquid without employment of expensive fractionating apparatus can be achieved.