Spray in Polymer Processing

Abstract

Polymer is one of the most ubiquitous materials in human civilization. The ease of processability and lower cost of manufacturing make it one of the most attractive families of materials. Spraying is one of the most studied methods of processing polymeric materials. In this chapter, a brief overview of different spray processes will be provided. Different conventional spray methods, namely thermal spray, electrospray, spray drying, etc., will be discussed. Apart from the conventional spray methods, some unique methods of spraying, namely ultrasonic spraying, electricity-assisted subsonic and supersonic blowing, solvent-mediated emulsion method, etc., will also be discussed. It should be mentioned that processed polymers are used in various shapes and sizes. For the sake of brevity and clarity, the overall discussion will be limited to three different form of polymers—planar polymer film, polymer particles (from micro to nano), and polymer fibers (from micro to nano). The discussion will be extended to elucidate some of the uses of such processed polymers. Finally, some of the challenges with processing polymers will be elucidated.