Microfluidics Nanotechnology Expert To Speak At EMPA Akademie Conference In Switzerland 27-29 October, 2008

Presentation will cover scalable and robust technologies and processes for production, deagglomeration, purification and modification of nanomaterials

Newton, Mass., 12 September, 2008— Microfluidics, a division of Microfluidics International Corporation (OTCBB: MFLU), has announced that the company’s CTO and internationally renowned nanotechnology applications expert, Thomai (Mimi) Panagiotou, Ph.D., will present a talk at the “Characterization and Application of Cell Wall Macromolecules,” a materials science and technology event, held 27-29 October, 2008 at the EMPA Academy in Dübendorf, Switzerland. EMPA is an interdisciplinary research and services institution for material sciences and technology development. Dr. Panagioutou’s presentation, titled “Scalable Industrial Processing of Nanomaterials Using Microfluidizer® High-Shear Fluid Processors,” will cover scalable and robust technologies and processes for production, deagglomeration, purification and modification of nanomaterials.  

Dr. Panagiotou is responsible for the overall direction of Microfluidics’ technology and leads the development of Microfluidics Reaction Technology (MRT), an award-winning process-intensification technology which manufactures nanosuspensions from the bottom up. MRT has been demonstrated to be more effective in producing nanoparticles of consistent size and high quality than standard particle size reducing methods. The technology has a wide range of applications. She has co-authored over 60 papers for journals and conference proceedings, and is the co-inventor in two patents.

Her talk at the EMPA conference will discuss how paramount performance in many applications can be achieved only if the nanomaterials are deagglomerated and uniformly dispersed in media such as organic solvents, polymer resins, water, etc. In addition, she will explain how Microfluidics’ exclusive technologies and processes provide solutions when nanoencapsulation, particle exfoliation, mixing in the nanometer scale, and fibril formation and length reduction of fibers are desired.

Dr. Panagiotou will discuss how the heart of the Microfluidics technology is a continuous microreactor, called the interaction chamber, which consists of “fixed-geometry” microchannels. Flow through the chamber is characterized by high fluid velocities and subsequent impingement of fluid jets to the chamber walls or to one another. This generates high-intensity shear fields, while energy dissipation mechanisms such as turbulence are activated in the microliter-size volumes of the chamber. Under these conditions, mixing of fluids takes place at the nanometer scale, and solid agglomerates disperse or break to yield submicron particles.

Microfluidics’ high-shear fluid processors are used for particle size reduction, deagglomeration and dispersion of nanoparticles in liquid media. The scalability of these processors has been demonstrated in numerous applications.

Dr. Panagiotou will deliver her presentation on Monday, 27 October, at 14:00 as part of Session 3: “Cellulose (Applications),” moderated by Tanja Zimmerman.

About Microfluidics

Microfluidics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Microfluidics International Corporation, is a supplier of advanced fluid-processing equipment and reaction technology for laboratory, pilot-scale and manufacturing applications. The equipment enables the manufacture and formulation of numerous nanomaterials and nanoscale products, and produces the most uniform and smallest liquid and suspended solid particles available.

Microfluidics has been a worldwide supplier of Microfluidizer® high-shear fluid- processing systems to the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, chemical, cosmetics/personal care and food industries since 1984. As a leader in the field, Microfluidics has enabled numerous companies and institutions to formulate, validate and produce licensed drugs for the worldwide healthcare market.

Companies seeking to produce difficult-to-formulate products or to find better methods of bioprocessing can take advantage of complimentary sample testing at any of three Microfluidics facilities. Visit www.microfluidicscorp.com, email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or contact Microfluidics at (800) 370-5452 for application information.