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Institut Fur Mikrotechnik Mainz Gmbh

Thomas Richter

Wolfgang Ehrfeld

Lutz Weber

Frank Michel

Oliver Hausner

A modular microreaction system comprising a housing and functional base modules accommodated therein. The housing has at least one fluid inlet and at least one fluid outlet. The base modules are arranged one behind another in a row in the housing and being designed such that fluid can flow successively through them in series. At least some of the base modules are constructed from a plurality of substantially rectangular foils having plate-like surfaces in essentially parallel planes which foils are connected to one another and are arranged in layers one above another, forming a foil stack. At least a first of the foils having at least one of microstructured channels, sensor elements, heating elements and combinations thereof on a plate-like surface of the at least a first of the foils. Each foil stack also has at least one foil which is provided on a plate-like surface of the at least one foil with channels which are constructed such that for one fluid line they lead from one side of the foil stack to another side of the foil stack. The base modules (&#x2033;) each have at least one frame element (), which is arranged essentially perpendicular to planes of the foils, and is connected to the foil stack in a fluid-tight manner and the foil stacks, together with the frame elements, form base elements that can be inserted into and removed from the housing () as a unit.

Modular microreaction system

A method for fabrication of micro heat exchangers, which enable an efficient heat transfer between two flowing media. In a first processing step, a plastic layer is structurized by means of photolithography, x-ray deep lithography, or laser ablation. This plastic structure is galvanically molded in a second processing step, preserving the structural properties. The resulting metallic microstructure, which is the inverse of the original structure, is used as a shaping insert to produce the individual layers from which the micro heat exchanger is assembled. The method according to the invention makes it possible to cheaply produce large numbers of micro heat exchangers.

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Mainz, Germany

Thomas Richter