TECHNOLOGY LICENSING OPPORTUNITY: ScreenFlow Liquid-Liquid Microcontactorview on SAM.gov

ScreenFlow pairs wettable screens with printed-in gaskets to deliver membrane-free, microscale liquid-liquid contact that scales from microliters to industrially useful flow rates using off-the-shelf materials and standard machine-shop fabrication. ScreenFlow turns one of chemistry's most common operations, the mixing and separating two immiscible liquids, into a predictable, layer-by-layer process that scales from benchtop experiments to production-relevant flow rates without sacrificing the efficiency advantages of microscale contact. By replacing fragile single-channel chips and mass-transfer-limiting membranes with paired wettable screens, the ScreenFlow Liquid-Liquid Microcontactor from Los Alamos National Laboratory achieves direct liquid contact, supports flow in the same or opposite directions and tolerates real operating pressures while remaining buildable with ordinary machining and assembly methods. The newer printed-gasket configuration further reduces parts, shortens build time and enables stable biphasic operation over days at a time, giving developers a robust platform for extraction, purification and sample-handling workflows that previously required bulkier or more delicate equipment. How it Works Two liquids enter the device through separate inlets and travel through their own dedicated guide; each guide contains a fine, liquid-conducting woven screen, sized to the microfluidic regime. One screen is built from a hydrophilic material so it preferentially carries an aqueous stream, while the paired screen is built from a hydrophobic, oleophilic material so it preferentially carries the organic stream. Where the two guides overlap along their main length, the liquids meet at a stable, capillary-held interface. Therefore, dissolved species, fine particles and heat can transfer across that interface while the bulk liquids stay confined to their respective screens, then diverge cleanly at the outlets with little or no carryover. The screens also serve as a structural backbone, supporting wider and longer flow paths without collapse. Advantages • Direct liquid-to-liquid contact with no separating membrane, preserving fast mass transfer between the two streams • Supports both same-direction and opposite-direction flow within the same hardware footprint • Scales by stacking additional screen layers, raising throughput from microliters per minute toward milliliters per minute and beyond without changing the basic design • Built from off-the-shelf materials using standard machine-shop methods rather than cleanroom photolithography • Printed-gasket version cuts part count roughly in half, simplifying assembly and eliminating edge leak paths • Demonstrated stable operation across days of continuous biphasic flow, suitable for sustained processing rather than one-shot experiments Market Applications • Critical Materials (rare-earth and trace-element purification, recycling streams…