skip to content

Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology

Lead researcher: Dr Bart Hallmark

Due to robust nature of the MCF extrusion process, the polymers used can be chosen with desirable physical properties to suit a particular application. If an elastic polymer is chosen, then the resultant MCF can be used in a peristaltic pump as a multi-bore pump tube. Multiple fluids can be delivered by splitting the end of the MCF and using different feeds and by using a pump head modified to subtly increase its rigidity. A photograph of an MCF being used as the working tube in a peristaltic pump is shown below.

MCF used as the fluid pumping tube with a peristaltic pump

Typical total flow-rates that can be achieved are of the order of tenths of a millilitre per minute using a 19-capillary MCF. The plot below shows the range of flow-rates obtained with a 19-capillary MCF containing capillaries of mean hydraulic diameter about 400 micrometers.

MCF flow rate at different pump speeds

Return to MCF applications page