COATING FLOWS.

Abstract

A coating flow is a fluid flow that is useful for covering a large surface area with one or more thin, uniform liquid layers. The liquid film is subsequently dried or cured and often serves to protect or decorate the substrate. The film may also serve a more active function, such as the recording of information. The theoretical fluid-mechanics problem is first to identify a prospective steady, two-dimensional, film-forming flow, given the liquid properties, the coating thickness, and the application speeds of interest. Once a flow field is found, its stability to disturbances must be evaluated. Finally, it is necessary to predict whether the flow will effectively displace air from the surface to be coated. Refs.