- #1
refind
- 51
- 0
Another grad student and I have figured out a way to create micron-sized channels INSIDE a piece of thermoplastic polymer using a laser. Basically it creates a porous channel inside the material (I attached a microscope image). This is a long channel but the inside of it is not empty - it has a highly tortuous structure.
We've done this using 1mm thick plastic, and also 0.15mm thick film. Question is, is there anything cool I can make out of this? I thought about running a fluid (potentially conductive fluid) through it, making some sort of device. Some sort of display? Strain gage? Solar cell? Something bio?
Theoretically I should be able to make a void of any shape (not just channels) using this method. Again, these voids are INSIDE the material, not on the surface - it has solid polymer on top and bottom, enclosing it from the environment.
This is really backwards, normally in engineering you make something that solves a real problem. Instead, I made something for no reason and am trying to find an application. That's the sad part about academic research, but that's where I'm at today ):
Any ideas highly appreciated. Thanks!
We've done this using 1mm thick plastic, and also 0.15mm thick film. Question is, is there anything cool I can make out of this? I thought about running a fluid (potentially conductive fluid) through it, making some sort of device. Some sort of display? Strain gage? Solar cell? Something bio?
Theoretically I should be able to make a void of any shape (not just channels) using this method. Again, these voids are INSIDE the material, not on the surface - it has solid polymer on top and bottom, enclosing it from the environment.
This is really backwards, normally in engineering you make something that solves a real problem. Instead, I made something for no reason and am trying to find an application. That's the sad part about academic research, but that's where I'm at today ):
Any ideas highly appreciated. Thanks!