Project R-11258

Determining the relationship between Ultrasonic Spray Coating parameters, droplet characteristics and layer formation (Research)

Ultrasonic spray coating is a coating technology that – thanks to the ultrasonic vibrations at the nozzle – opens the road to deposit nanometre-thin homogeneous layers. Its industrial application, however, is limited due to the many possible parameters influencing the process. So far, there is insufficient knowledge and understanding on the interplay between coating formulation, droplet generation, transport and impact on the substrate. Developing a droplet visualization system will lead to scientific and fundamental breakthrough in understanding how the droplet evolves during flight. First the influence of several spray parameters on the droplet characteristic will be studied and in a second step these findings will be translated to the influence on layer formation. A dimensionless operating space for ultrasonic spray coating will be constructed as the final, scientific outcome. This will lead to an ultrasonic spray coat model from which the ideal set of spray parameters can be determined for any kind of formulations. These insights will lead to improvements in efficiency, stability and reproducibility of the process. We therefore state that the investigation performed in this PhD is a first step for broad integration of ultrasonic spray coating in research, development and industry.

01 November 2020 - 31 October 2022