Low-Cost 3D Printer Drawn Optical Microfibers for Smartphone Colorimetric Detection

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optical Engineering
• Additive Manufacturing

Background:

• Developing low-cost optical fibers is crucial for widespread sensing applications.
• Traditional fiber fabrication methods can be expensive and complex.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the direct fabrication of optical fibers using a 3D printer extruder.
• To create functional microfibers from readily available filament for cost-effective applications.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printer extruder as a micro-furnace draw tower.
• Drew air-clad multimode microfibers from polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) filament.
• Employed a custom spooling system to control fiber diameter (72–397 μm) by adjusting drawing speed.

Main Results:

• Achieved successful fabrication of uniform diameter microfibers.
• Verified microfiber quality through microstructure imaging and 3D beam profiling.
• Demonstrated the application of the fabricated microfiber for smartphone-based colorimetric oil adulteration detection.

Conclusions:

• 3D printing offers a viable, low-cost method for producing functional optical microfibers.
• The fabricated microfibers are suitable for developing accessible sensing platforms, such as smartphone-based oil analysis.