Using a new etching technology, Dolomite is able to design microfluidic chips with channel geometries similar to porous rock structures featuring a variety of wide and narrow channels.
The channel geometry can be custom made to represent the exact structure required.
The microfluidic chip offers good access for optics and full visualisation of the fluid flow allowing fast analysis.
Operating over a temperature range of -15C to +250C and a pressure range (up to 100 bar), the glass device offers good chemical resistance, allowing a range of solvents and chemicals to be used.
Understanding the full characteristics of fluid flow through porous structures, such as rock, is essential for applications including oil extraction from petroleum reservoirs, environmental testing and groundwater analysis.
The pore space within the rock is difficult to access and often characterised by parameters such as connectivity and tortuosity, which are difficult to measure and quantify.
Furthermore, the flow is influenced by complex interactions between the fluids themselves and the geometry or surface of the pore space.
