Properties of ChipShop Chip Materials

ChipShop microfluidic chips are manufactured in transparent thermoplastics. We summarize here the main properties of these materials so you can make the right choice for your application.

PMMA (Polymethylmetacrylate)

PMMA is a transparent thermoplastic, often used as a lightweight or shatter-resistant alternative to glass. It is sometimes called acrylic glass or Plexiglas. Chemically, it is the synthetic polymer of methyl methacrylate. PMMA is an acrylate polymer with an ester-group. This feature can be used to modify the surface chemically.

Grades:

• mcs-PMMA-08 – T_g:110°C
• mcs-foil-013 – 175 µm thickness, T_g: 113°C

Polycarbonate (PC)

PC is thermoplastic polymer. Compared to other materials used in microfluidics, like Zeonor or Topas, it is less hydrophobic and therefore, the channels show a better filling behavior. It can be used for higher temperature applications, like e.g. PCR. The drawback of this material is the relatively high intrinsic fluorescence, in particular of the available foil material, compared e.g. to Topas, Zeonor, or PMMA.

Grades:

• mcs-PC-13 – Tg:145°C
• mcs-foil-042 – Tg: 145°C

Transmission Spectrum of 1.0 mm thick microscopy slide of mcs-PC-13

Polystyrene (PS)

PS is a thermoplastic polymer. Polystyrene (PS) is an aromatic polymer made from the monomer styrene and can be rigid or foamed. Standard polystyrene is clear, hard and brittle. The resin is very inexpensive per unit weight. It builds a rather poor barrier to oxygen and water vapor and has a relatively low melting point. PS is one of the standard materials conventionally used in the life sciences, partially due to its relatively low price. Microtiter plates, for example, are usually made from PS.

Grades:

• mcs-PS-17 – Tg: 100°C
• mcs-foil-095 – 125µm Thickness, Tg: 100°C

Transmission Spectrum of 1.0 mm thick microscopy slide of mcs-PS-17

Topas (COC)

Topas is thermoplastic polymer. It is a cyclo-olefin copolymer (COC) and completely nonpolar as well as amorphous. It has a very low permeability for water vapour and a low capacity for the absorption of water.

Grades:

• mcs-COC-13 – Tg: 142°C
• mcs-foil-011 – 140 µm thickness, Tg: 70°C
• mcs-foil-080 – 125 µm thickness, Tg: 142°C

Zeonor (COP)

Zeonor is a thermoplastic polymer. It is a cyclo-olefin polymer (COP) and completely nonpolar as well as amorphous. Zeonor has a very low permeability for water vapor and a low capacity for the absorption of water.

Grades:

• mcs-COP-02 – Tg: 136°C
• mcs-foil-005 – 188 µm thickness – Tg: 136°C

Transmission Spectrum of 1.0 mm thick Microscopy Slide of mcs-COP-02