| Thermochromic liquid crystals (TLC's) have a unique chemical composition that makes them reflect different wavelengths of the visible light spectrum at different temperatures, causing them to change their color. This quality makes them a good candidate for measuring temperatures of fluids in a microchannel. Images of TLC's in a microchannel were acquired at different controlled temperatures and their color was quantified based on average hue values. Their use was tested by comparing the temperature values they measured with predicted temperature values in a simple configuration. The results confirmed TLC's as a useful temperature measurement technique in the microscale. TLC's could also be used to simultaneously measure the velocity and temperature in various microfluidic applications. |
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