ELASTOHYDRODYNAMICS OF BLADE COATING

Blade coating is the most common method of coating paper, and it is applied in coating magnetic suspensions and adhesives. Typically, the blade's upstream edge is clamped into a rigid holder so that the blade and substrate form a converging wedge. The translating substrate drags liquid into the wedge, where liquid forces develop and deflect the elastic blade, but it is loaded externally to counteract the deflection. Liquid dragged past the blade and thus the coating thickness depend on the elastohydrodynamic interaction among blade, liquid, and loading. Shell theory and lubrication flow theory describe the interaction by means of differential equations that are shown to be equivalent to Saita and Scriven's (1985) earlier formulation but that lead to a computationally more efficient analysis. Predictions computed agree with those of the earlier formulation and with experiments. Moreover, the new predictions illustrate effects of normal force loading and broaden the theory of blade coating. Copyright © 1990 American Institute of Chemical Engineers