Hierarchically Structured Microsieves Produced via Float-Casting

This article shows a new way to produce hierarchical microsieves by layering three types of float-cast microsieves, differing from each other in their pore diameters (approximately 68 μm, 7 μm, and 0.24 μm) on top of each other. The unsupported microsieves with 7 and 0.24 μm pore sizes are mechanically fragile. The complete hierarchical sieve composed of all three layers, however, can be handled manually without special precaution. This article further investigates the flow through the hierarchical sieve and filtration via experiment, theory (Hagen-Poiseuille's and Sampson-Roscoe's law), and simulation (numerically solving the Navier-Stokes equations for a predefined set of discrete volumetric elements). The experimental, theoretical, and simulated permeances of the microsieves and the hierarchical sieves are in reasonable agreement with each other and are significantly higher than the permeances of conventional filtration media. In filtration experiments, the hierarchical sieves show the expected sharp size cut-off, retaining particles of diameters exceeding the pore diameter.