Evaluation of the Performance of Static Mixers in 3D Printed Millireactors Using Integrated pH-Sensitive Films

Abstract

The aim of this research was to prepare pH sensor films based on litmus using the sol–gel method with tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and phenyltrimethoxysilane (PTMS) as precursors. The pH sensor film was then applied to millireactors to evaluate its performance on the intricate geometries of static mixers commonly found in millireactor designs. Millireactors were made from Formlabs High Temp resin using stereolithography (SLA) and from Anycubic Basic resin using digital light processing (DLP) technology. The performance of the pH sensor films was evaluated by tracking color changes in the pH sensor films and analyzing RGB (red, green, blue) and hue values through a smartphone application. The experiment involved mixing solutions with different pH values at varying flow rates within the millireactor channels. Furthermore, along with analyzing the hue values, characterization techniques involved measuring contact angles with water and diiodomethane. A film combining a litmus indicator with titanium dioxide (TiO2) displayed a color change within one minute and maintained this color throughout the study, confirming its reusability. Sensor films exhibited excellent reversibility (RSD = 2.4–3.3%) and stability. The findings demonstrate that the pH-sensitive films perform robustly across varying geometries, paving the way for their integration into advanced millireactor systems with static mixers and continuous chemical monitoring within Industry 4.0.