This work was sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51375176); the Guangdong Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (2014A030313264); and the Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province, China (2014B010126003).

Caution: Please consult all relevant material safety data sheets (MSDS) before use. Acetone is highly flammable and can cause irritation to the eyes and respiratory tract. The voltage involved is as high as several thousand volts; hence, electrical sparks are expected when conducting the experiment. Carry out the experiments in a room with good ventilation to avoid explosions and fire from the sparks.
1. Fabrication of the Plates and Holder
NOTE: In this work, the ele...

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	<li>Kazemi, P. Z., Selvaganapathy, P. R., Ching, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Effect+of+micropillar+electrode+spacing+on+the+performance+of+electrohydrodynamic+micropumps.">Effect of micropillar electrode spacing on the performance of electrohydrodynamic micropumps.</a> J Electrostat. 68 (4), 376-383 (2010).</li><li>Kano, I., Nishina, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Effect+of+electrode+arrangements+on+EHD+conduction+pumping.">Effect of electrode arrangements on EHD conduction pumping.</a> IEEE Trans Ind Appl. 49 (2), 679-684 (2013).</li><li>Laser, D. J., Santiago, J. 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X. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Review+on+the+history,+research,+and+applications+of+electrohydrodynamics.">Review on the history, research, and applications of electrohydrodynamics.</a> IEEE Trans Plasma Sci. 42 (2), 358-375 (2014).</li><li>Yazdani, M., Seyed-Yagoobi, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Electrostatics Joint Conf. , (2009).</li><li>Gharraei, R., Esmaeilzadeh, E., Hemayatkhah, M., Danaeefar, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Experimental+investigation+of+electrohydrodynamic+conduction+pumping+of+various+liquids+film+using+flush+electrodes.">Experimental investigation of electrohydrodynamic conduction pumping of various liquids film using flush electrodes.</a> J Electrostat. 69 (1), 43-53 (2011).</li><li>Gharraei, R., Esmaeilzadeh, E., Nobari, M. 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The authors have nothing to disclose.

One of the critical steps within the protocol is to inspect the electrode plate carefully. Small burrs on the edge of an electrode can result in a short-circuit, and surface integrity can greatly affect pump performance. The cleaning of the electrode plate and holder is also very important. The electrode chamber height is less than 1 mm, so small dust particles may block the working liquid flow and cause a short-circuit. Before the test, injecting acetone into the chamber can remove the bubbles outside of the chamber.</p...

Micropumps can drive liquid flow on a much smaller scale than most pumps. In recent years, various driving schemes have been applied successfully to microfluidic systems1,2,3,4,5. The electrohydrodynamic (EHD) pump can exert forces directly on the liquid, without any moving parts, which makes it simpler and easier to fabricate6. According to the charge types, EHD pumps can be classified as injection pumps, induction pumps, or conduction pumps. Induction pumps do not work on isothermal liquids, while injection pumps change the liquid conductivity. Because they lack such problems, conduction pumps are more stable and have a wider application.
The conduction pump is based on the mismatch of the dissociation and recombination rates of liquid molecules. Normally, the dissociation and recombination process can be expressed as follows7,8: 
<img alt="Equation" src="/files/ftp_upload/55867/55867eq1.jpg" /> 
where the recombination rate kr is constant while the dissociation rate kd is a function of the electric field strength. When the electric field strength reaches a certain value, the dissociation rate will exceed the recombination rate. Then, more and more free charges travel to the two electrodes of opposite polarity, and heterocharge layers form. These heterocharge layers are the key to the pump, as the movement of the charges pushes the liquid molecules forward. Therefore, net body force can be generated in the liquid within the chamber using asymmetric electrodes or the mismatch of the mobility of positive and negative ions9,10,11,12.
This work introduces a new way of fabricating a symmetric planar electrode plate for a conduction pump. The electrode plate is prepared on FR-4 CCL, and the pump chamber is prepared by micromachining. The fabrication processes are relatively simpler and more convenient than those of other manufacturing methods, such as nanolithography. A testing platform is set up to investigate the performance of the conduction micropump under different conditions. Furthermore, the reliability of the conduction micropump is also investigated under different circumstances.

<table width="683">
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		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="width:207px;height:21px;">Amperemeter</td>
			<td style="width:311px;">-</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">85C1-MA</td>
			<td style="width:64px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="width:207px;height:21px;">DC high voltage power supply</td>
			<td style="width:311px;">NanTong Jianuo electric device company</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">GY-WY500-1</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="width:207px;height:21px;">Fuse</td>
			<td style="width:311px;">-</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">-</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="width:207px;height:21px;">Ultrasonic cleaner</td>
			<td style="width:311px;">Derui ultrasonic device company</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">-</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="width:207px;height:21px;">Soldering iron</td>
			<td style="width:311px;">-</td>
			<td style="width:101px;">-</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

a performance-testing platform for a conduction micropump with an fr-4 copper-clad electrode plate

Here, a conduction micropump with symmetric planar electrode pairs prepared on flame-retardant glass-reinforced epoxy (FR-4) copper-clad laminate (CCL) is fabricated. It is used to investigate the influence of chamber dimensions on the performance of a conduction micropump and to determine the reliability of the conduction pump when acetone is used as the working fluid. A testing platform is set up to evaluate conduction micropump performance under different conditions. When the chamber height is 0.2 mm, the pump pressure reaches its peak value.

As shown in Figure 11, the pump pressure and its increasing rate rise when the voltage increases. When the voltage reaches 500 V, the pump pressure reaches 1,100 Pa.
The pump static pressure rises with the pump chamber height increasing when the chamber height is under 0.2 mm. The pump performance reaches its highest point when the chamber height is 0.2 mm. Then, the static pressure drops when the c...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about A Performance-testing Platform for a Conduction Micropump with an FR-4 Copper-clad Electrode Plate at JoVE.com

A Performance-testing Platform for a Conduction Micropump with an FR-4 Copper-clad Electrode Plate

This paper presents a protocol for the fabrication of a conduction micropump using symmetric planar electrodes on flame-retardant glass-reinforced epoxy (FR-4) copper-clad laminate (CCL) to test the influence of chamber dimensions on the performance of a conduction micropump.

Here, a conduction micropump with symmetric planar electrode pairs prepared on flame-retardant glass-reinforced epoxy (FR-4) copper-clad laminate (CCL) is ...

The overall goal of this experiment is to fabricate a conduction micropump using symmetric planar electrodes on flame-retardant, glass-reinforced expoxy copper-clad laminate in order to test the influence of chamber dimensions on the performance of a conduction micropump. The main advantage of this technique is the voltage involved is a low several hundred volts. And the fabrication cost is relatively low.Though this method can provide insight into the mechanism of the conduction pump, it can also be applied to many other systems such as trunk delivering systems and micro-cooling systems. To begin, place the plate inside the beaker with the electrode surface facing down to help remove small particles like dust from the plate surface. Also, place the holder, the inlet and outlet tubes and other tools used in the experiments inside the beaker.Then pour enough 99.5 per cent acetone to immerse the items. Place the beaker inside the ultrasonic washer, and turn it on for five minutes. Next insert the inlet and outlet stainless steel tubes into the two holes on the cover plate.Place a chamber plate made of silicone membrane on the electrode plate, and then cover it with a cover plate. Stack and align the cover plate, the chamber plate and the electrode plate from top to bottom and insert the aligned plates into the holder. Use an M2 bolt to fix the plates inside the holder.Press the plates together by tightening the bolts. Next use two polyurethane hoses with external diameters of four millimeters and internal diameters of two millimeters to connect the inlet and outlet stainless steel tubes. Connect an amperemeter, a 500 volt DC power source and the micropump in series.Then insert a one milliampere fuse between the amperemeter and the power source to protect the amperemeter in case the micropump is shorted. Finally insert the inlet hose into a 50 milliliter beaker with 20 to 30 milliliters of acetone inside. To prepare for the experiment, use a cylinder to extract acetone to fill up the micropump.After the liquid level reaches the outlet hose, continue to extract ten milliliters of acetone inside until all bubbles are pushed away from the chamber. Repeatedly aspirate the acetone out of the pump and then re-inject it without bringing any air inside the pump to help remove bubbles. To perform the static pressure test, attach the outlet hose to a small frame so that the hose can remain straight and vertical.Put a ruler alongside the outlet hose to measure the liquid level. Connect the micropump to the power source. Start the test by raising the voltage to 500 volts and then mark down the initial liquid level.After the liquid level becomes stable, record the time, the final liquid level and the electric current. Continue to record the liquid level and the current every ten seconds until the micropump breaks down. To perform the flow rate test, use a large measuring cylinder to collect the liquid coming out of the outlet hose.Be sure to fix the outlet hose so that the end remains at the same altitude as the liquid level in the beaker. Switch on the power source. Start the test by raising the voltage to 500 volts and then mark down the initial liquid level.As the liquid starts to flow out of the outlet hose, record the volume of acetone inside the measuring cylinder every ten seconds. As the experiment goes on, add acetone to the beaker to maintain the liquid level. Shown here is the increasing rate of pump pressure with an increase in voltage.When the voltage reaches 500 volts, the pump pressure reaches 1, 100 Pascal. The pump static pressure rises with the pump chamber height. The pump performance reaches its highest point when the chamber height is 0.2 millimeters.Then the static pressure drops when the chamber height continues to increase. Based on these results, 0.2 millimeters is considered the best value for the chamber height. By increasing the chamber length, the static pressure rises, with a big slope until a chamber length of 23 millimeters.Then it continues to rise with a smaller slope, indicating a gradual rise. There is a slight decrease in the static pressure versus chamber width curve when the chamber width increases from two millimeters to three millimeters. Afterwards, the static pressure remains at a certain level as the chamber width increases.Once mastered, this technique can be done in half an hour if it is performed properly. After watching this video, you should have a good understanding of how to set up a platform and test the performance of a conduction micropump. Don't forget that working with acetone can be hazardous and precautions such as wearing rubber gloves should always be taken while performing this procedure.We showed demonstration of this method is critical. A short circuit may occur during the experiment if the washing and inspecting steps are not conducted carefully.

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5.9K Views.  South China University of Technology. The overall goal of this experiment is to fabricate a conduction micropump using symmetric planar electrodes on flame-retardant, glass-reinforced expoxy copper-clad laminate in order to test the influence of chamber dimensions on the performance of a conduction micropump. The main advantage of this technique is the voltage involved is a low several hundred volts. And the fabrication cost is relatively low.Though this method can provide insight into the mechanism of the conduction pump,...