The Spreading of Inkjet-Printed Droplets with Varying Polymer Molar Mass on a Dry Solid Substrate

• Published in: Macromolecular chemistry and physics Vol. 210; no. 6; pp. 495 - 502
• Main Authors: Perelaer, Jolke, Smith, Patrick J., van den Bosch, Erwin, van Grootel, Stephen S. C., Ketelaars, Peter H. J. M., Schubert, Ulrich S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY-VCH Verlag 25.03.2009; WILEY‐VCH Verlag; Wiley
• Subjects: Applied sciences; droplet impact; Exact sciences and technology; inkjet printing; Organic polymers; Physicochemistry of polymers; polystyrene; Properties and characterization; Solution and gel properties; spreading; wetting; Organic solution; wetting; Spreading; polystyrene; droplet impact; Styrene polymer; inkjet printing; Ink jet printing; Experimental study
• ISSN: 1022-1352; 1521-3935
• DOI: 10.1002/macp.200800569

An experimental study on the spreading of inkjet printed droplets of a polystyrene/toluene solution with varied molar masses on solid dry surfaces is presented. The polymer's number‐averaged molar mass was varied between 1.5 and 545 kDa, which also caused a variation in the viscosity from 0.6 to 1.7 mPa · s. The results were compared with theoretical models for droplet spreading and were found to fit with an error between 2 and 20% with the predictions. Furthermore, the in‐flight evaporation of the free‐falling droplet was investigated for polystyrene/toluene solutions that have a constant vapor pressure by printing from a systematically increased height.