Coating and Drying of Thin Liquid Films: Effect of Rheological Properties of Liquids on Defect Formation

Abstract

Liquid thin film coating is one of the common fundamental technologies that covers a wide range of advanced material processes. To achieve uniform coatings of various types of soft matter, i.e., suspensions, colloids, gels, etc., at high speeds over larger areas, we need a deeper understanding of physical links between the formation mechanisms of undesirable defects and rheological properties of the coating liquids. This article focuses on the slot-die coating technology of particle suspensions and provides a brief but comprehensive overview of liquid formulations that are less prone to coating/drying defects thereby helping to achieve faster production rates.