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Materials

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All devices are manufactured in production-grade resins for maximum biological compatibility and optical performance. Each falls within one of three families of clear, amorphous thermoplastics:

Cyclic olefins link to Cyclic olefins section

COC

Full name
Cyclic olefin copolymer
Trade name
Topas

A high performance optical material with minimal autofluorescence and high thermal and solvent resistance.

COP

Full name
Cyclic olefin polymer
Trade name
Zeonor

Chemically and optically similar to COC. COP has low surface adsorption for the most demanding microfluidic applications.

PMMA link to PMMA section

Full name
Polymethyl methacrylate
Trade names
Acrylic, Plexiglas

A general purpose optical material suitable for a wide range of microfluidic applications.

PC link to PC section

Full name
Polycarbonate
Trade names
Lexan, Makrolon

A durable and impact-resistant material compatible with elevated temperatures.

Solvent Resistance link to Solvent Resistance section

For most applications, devices made of COC or COP will exhibit the widest solvent resistance. In particular, they are safe with most organic solvents, acids, bases, and polar compounds. When handling highly volatile and aggressive reagents, it is advisable to do a thorough investigation of solubility parameters and material testing.

Resistant = Resistant. Limited resistance = Limited resistance. Incompatible = Incompatible.
Solvent PMMA PC COC COP
Alcohols (IPA, EtOH) Limited resistance Resistant Resistant Resistant
Acetone Incompatible Incompatible Resistant Resistant
Fats and Organic Oils Resistant Resistant Limited resistance Limited resistance
Acids and Bases Limited resistance Limited resistance Resistant Resistant
Polar Organic Solvents Incompatible Incompatible Resistant Resistant
DMSO Incompatible Incompatible Resistant Resistant
Fluorinated Oils (FC-40) Resistant Resistant Resistant Resistant
Chlorinated Solvents (DCM) Incompatible Incompatible Incompatible Incompatible

Physical Properties link to Physical Properties section

Property PMMA PC COC COP
Tensile Modulus (MPa) 3100 2400 3200 2300
Tensile Strength (MPa) 74.5 65 46 60
Elongation at Break (%) 4 120 1.7 16
Impact Strength, Notched (kJ/m2) 11 14 13 13
Glass Transition Temperature (°C) 105 146 134 136
Moisture Absorption (%, 23°C, sat.) 0.2 0.3 0.01 0.01
Melt Flow Rate (g/10min) 10 20 43 30
Index of Refraction 1.49 1.586 1.533 1.533
Optical Transmission (%) 93 88 91.4 92

Design questions? Talk to an engineer.