Effects of nozzle and fluid properties on the drop formation dynamics in a drop-on-demand inkjet printing

doi:10.1007/s10483-019-2514-7

Abstract

Abstract: The droplet formation dynamics of a Newtonian liquid in a drop-on-demand (DOD) inkjet process is numerically investigated by using a volume-of-fluid (VOF) method. We focus on the nozzle geometry, wettability of the interior surface, and the fluid properties to achieve the stable droplet formation with higher velocity. It is found that a nozzle with contracting angle of 45° generates the most stable and fastest single droplet, which is beneficial for the enhanced printing quality and high-throughput printing rate. For this nozzle with the optimal geometry, we systematically change the wettability of the interior surface, i.e., different contact angles. As the contact angle increases, pinch-off time increases and the droplet speed reduces. Finally, fluids with different properties are investigated to identify the printability range.

Key words: inkjet printing, drop-on-demand (DOD), droplet formation, nozzle geometry, surface wettability, printability range

2010 MSC Number:

74A25

A. B. AQEEL, M. MOHASAN, Pengyu LV, Yantao YANG, Huiling DUAN. Effects of nozzle and fluid properties on the drop formation dynamics in a drop-on-demand inkjet printing. Applied Mathematics and Mechanics (English Edition), 2019, 40(9): 1239-1254.

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