3D printed rheometer drastically reduces instrument costs

Scientific instruments can be incredibly expensive, and rheometers are no exception, with some costing upwards of $100,000. But a novel 3D printed rheometer presented by Tammaro and Maffettone is looking to change that.

With additive manufacturing, the researchers developed a low-cost, open-source multipass microrheometer that requires just milligrams of sample material to make quick measurements over a large range of shear rates. Designed with a microchannel, two millimetric pistons, and two piezoelectric miniaturized pressure sensors, the rheometer can measure viscoelastic properties of polymers when the flow in the microchannel is oscillated.

“Our new work makes rheology more inclusive and opens the door to artificial intelligence in rheology,” said author Daniele Tammaro. “Even children and people with low income could have a valuable scientific instrument!”

Unlike traditional rheometers, their device can be customized to make multiple measurements at once. The rheometer is also 10 times less expensive to create and can even be fabricated with a standard 3D printer.

“When we made the first prototype, I couldn’t believe that with less than one-tenth of the money a standard rheometer costs and a home 3D printer, I could get consistent, accurate results that describe a fluid with viscoelastic properties,” Tammaro said.

The researchers hope their rheometer can help promote rheology by making it accessible to a wider audience, which could enable new applications of various fluid properties. Next, the researchers are looking to develop and integrate a similarly inexpensive camera to visualize a fluid flow with particles.

Source: “A versatile and customizable low-cost printed multipass microrheometer for high-throughput polymers rheological experimentation,” by D. Tammaro, P.L. Maffettone, Physics of Fluids (2023). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0150886 .