Two-dimensional uniformly fed unstirred chemical reactor

• US 4,832,914 A
• Filed: 02/08/1988
• Issued: 05/23/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Original Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Inventors: Horsthemke, Werner, McCormick, William D., Swinney, Harry L., Tam, Wing Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Castel, Benoit
• Assistant Examiner(s): Santiago, Amalia L.
• Application Number:
  US07/153,638
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 422/130, 422/78, 422/86, 422/87, 422/99, 422/58, 436/165, 436/170, 436/515, 73/864.72
• US Class Current: 422/130
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0053 Details of the reactor
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0073 Sealings sealings for pressure vessels per se F16J15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/0093 Microreactors, e.g. miniaturised or microfabricated reactors laboratory containers with capillary fluid transport in microfabricated channels or chambers B01L3/5027
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/75 Systems in which material is subjected to a chemical reaction, the progress or the result of the reaction being investigated systems in which material is burnt in a flame or plasma G01N21/72, G01N21/73
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 31/00 Investigating or analysing non-biological materials by the use of the chemical methods specified in the subgroup; Apparatus specially adapted for such methods

Abstract

An apparatus and method for producing and observing spatial patterns in chemical reaction comprising a vessel having a laminate positioned in said vessel forming a chamber. The laminate comprises a polymer gel layer (or other porous medium) sandwiched between a transparent layer and an array of capillary tubes. The capillaries in the array are perpendicular to the gel surface in order to allow access to the gel from the chamber only in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the gel.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in producing and observing spatiotemporal patterns in chemical reactions comprising a vessel having a laimnate positioned in said vessel forming a chamber, said laminate comprising an inert porous medium, a clear transparent layer and a capillary array plate, wherein said inert porous medium is sandwiched between said clear transparent layer and said capillary array plate, the capillaries in said capillary array plate being positioned perpendicular to said inert porous medium and said chamber in order to allow access to said porous medium from said chamber.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the inert porous medium is a polymer gel.

3. A process for the production of spatial patterns in a chemical reaction comprising introducing chemical reactants into a vessel having a chamber formed by a laminate positioned adjacent to said vessel in direct contact with said vessel, the laminate comprising an inert porous medium, a clear transparent layer and a capillary array plate, wherein said inert porous medium is sandwiched between said transparent layer and said capillary array plate, the capillaries in said array plate being arranged perpendicular to said porous medium and said chamber to allow access to said porous medium from said chamber, thereby reacting said chemicals in said chamber and transporting the reacting solution from said chamber to said porous medium via said capillaries to continue said reaction in said porous medium thereby resulting in the generation of a spatial pattern in said porous medium.

4. The process of claim 3 wherein the inert porous medium is a polymer gel.