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Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is a polymer prized for its unique material properties, including a high resistance to corrosive acids such as HCL and HF and its piezoelectric potential based on the proper microstructure arrangement. In this work, the effects of fused filament fabrication (FFF) routine parameters on printed PVDF film properties were investigated using a variety of experimental methods. The influence of in-fill angle (0°, 45°, and 90°) on the effective Young"s Modulus, Poisson"s ratio, and yield strength were evaluated using tensile testing and a digital image correlation (DIC) analysis. The phase content, in particular the β-phase amount, within the semi-crystalline PVDF films was determined as a function of processing parameters using the FTIR method. Considered parameters included the extrusion temperature, horizontal speed, in-situ applied hot end voltage, and bed material. Results showed that higher β-phase content was associated with lower extrusion temperatures, faster extrusion rates, and higher hot end voltages. While all "as printed" films demonstrated little to no measurable piezoelectricity, PVDF films printed with a high β-phase content and subjected to a post-printing corona poling procedure showed a small, but consistent piezoelectric response. Based on a static deflection cantilever beam experiment, the d 31 coefficient of the poled specimens was estimated at 1.19 pm/V.

Gas chromatography (GC) is used for organic and inorganic gas detection with a range of applications including screening for chemical warfare agents (CWA), breath analysis for diagnostics or law enforcement purposes, and air pollutants/indoor air quality monitoring of homes and commercial buildings. A field-portable, light weight, low power, rapid response, micro-gas chromatography (μGC) system is essential for such applications. We describe the design, fabrication and packaging of μGC on monolithically-integrated Si dies, comprised of a preconcentrator (PC), μGC column, detector and coatings for each of these components. An important feature of our system is that the same mechanical micro resonator design is used for the PC and detector. We demonstrate system performance by detecting four different CWA simulants within 2 min. We present theoretical analyses for cost/power comparisons of monolithic versus hybrid μGC systems. We discuss thermal isolation in monolithic systems to improve overall performance. Our monolithically-integrated μGC, relative to its hybrid cousin, will afford equal or slightly lower cost, a footprint that is 1/2 to 1/3 the size and an improved resolution of 4 to 25%.

Background Face coverings constitute an important strategy for containing pandemics, such as COVID-19. Infection from airborne respiratory viruses including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can occur in at least three modes; tiny and/or dried aerosols (typically < 1.0 μm) generated through multiple mechanisms including talking, breathing, singing, large droplets (> 0.5 μm) generated during coughing and sneezing, and macro drops transmitted via fomites. While there is a growing number of studies looking at the performance of household materials against some of these situations, to date, there has not been any systematic characterization of household materials against all three modes. Methods A three-step methodology was developed and used to characterize the performance of 21 different household materials with various material compositions (e.g. cotton, polyester, polypropylene, cellulose and blends) using submicron sodium chloride aerosols, water droplets, and mucous mimicking macro droplets over an aerosol-droplet size range of ~ 20 nm to 0.6 cm. Results Except for one thousand-thread-count cotton, most single-layered materials had filtration efficiencies < 20% for sub-micron solid aerosols. However, several of these materials stopped > 80% of larger droplets, even at sneeze-velocities of up to 1700 cm/s. Three or four layers of the same material, or combination materials, would be required to stop macro droplets from permeating out or into the face covering. Such materials can also be boiled for reuse. Conclusion Four layers of loosely knit or woven fabrics independent of the composition (e.g. cotton, polyester, nylon or blends) are likely to be effective source controls. One layer of tightly woven fabrics combined with multiple layers of loosely knit or woven fabrics in addition to being source controls can have sub-micron filtration efficiencies > 40% and may offer some protection to the wearer. However, the pressure drop across such fabrics can be high (> 100 Pa).