Researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) are using a Dolomite Fluidic Factory to help develop a novel carbon capture technology intended for industrial applications.

Researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) are using a Dolomite Fluidic Factory to help develop a novel carbon capture technology intended for industrial applications(1). Mindy Simon, postdoctoral research associate, explained: "Carbon capture is important for power generation and other heavy industries, reducing the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. Here at LLNL, we have developed an innovative microcapsule technology which consists of a highly permeable polymer shell surrounding a CO2-absorbing liquid core. These microcapsules can be loaded into columns which can then be placed into a smoke-stack or other industrial outlet, capturing the CO2 before it is released into the environment."

"We use microfluidics to manufacture the microcapsules, and initially used custom glass microfluidic chips from Dolomite for this application. However, because we are a research lab, we are constantly tweaking and updating our designs, and manufacturing glass prototypes by hand is both laborious and complex; its as much art as science. We wanted a 3D printer to allow rapid prototyping of new microfluidic devices, and our local Dolomite representative told us about the Fluidic Factory. We were immediately interested, and became a beta tester for the system."

For more information, visit www.dolomite-microfluidics.com.

1) Vericella, J, et al. Encapsulated liquid sorbents for carbon dioxide capture, Nature Comms, 2015, 6:6124


About Dolomite

Established in 2005, Dolomite Microfluidics has grown to be the world leader in the design and manufacture of high quality innovative microfluidic products.

The company offers a broad range of modular microfluidic systems, modules and components - including pumps, chips, connectors, temperature controllers, sensors, accessories and custom-made components - as well as software for analysis or automation.

Modularity, ease of use, innovation and scalability are common to all Dolomite products, which are used across a broad range of applications in biology, drug discovery, chemistry, food, cosmetics and academia.

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