Recent Trend of Analysis of Droplet Evaporation and Penetration for Inkjet Printing

Abstract

This paper offers an overview of theoretical models and simulation studies about evaporation and penetration in inkjet printing technology. After deposition of droplets on a printing media, evaporation and penetration happen simultaneously. These phenomena are very complicated and difficult to understand without theoretical considerations and simulations. Isothermal and diffusion-limitted evaporation model is popular for study of evaporation. However, recent studies reveal that the effect of temperature-drop due to evaporation, Marangoni flow in a droplet and air convection around ink have a great influence on the evaporation phenomena. For analysing penetration of ink into media, Lucas Washbern model is used for theoretical estimation of penetration volume. Even if the effect of solid content on penetration should be considered with pigment ink, theoretical model for pigment ink is not established yet. Typical researches of theoretical analysis and simulation of both evaporation and penetration will be introduced in this paper.