Simulation of slot-coating of nanocellulosic material subject to a wall-stress dependent slip-velocity at die-walls

Bio-based nanocellulosic materials are non-toxic, renewable, exhibit excellent barrier properties, and are suitable candidates for sustainable food packaging applications. Sizing and designing coating parameters for slot-coating process using nanocellulose suspensions is challenging due to complex shear-thinning rheology and the presence of a water-rich boundary layer, effecting significant apparent slip at the wall. Previous studies have shown that the flow inside the coating bead can be complex, with occasional stagnation regions and a rheological model incorporating yield stress which should be considered while analyzing slot coating of nanocellulosic flows. This work extends earlier investigations by including the effects of the particle depleted water-rich boundary layer. The suspension is modeled as a Casson fluid with a shear-thinning viscosity, and the particle depletion at the wall is represented by an infinitely thin layer modeled as a local shear-dependent nonlinear slip law. The resulting two-phase flow equations are solved using a Finite Volume Method (FVM) coupled with the Volume of Fluid (VoF) method for tracking the free surface interface. It is observed that slip alters the flow's dynamics in the coating bead, and the effect of slip cannot be ignored, especially at high shear rates. For thin films, the presence of slip enhances the flow, leading to more material coated on the substrate. In contrast, for thicker coatings, apparent slip leads to an augmentation in stagnant, non-yielded regions, potentially generating uneven surfaces.

Automated summary

Bio-based nanocellulosic materials are suitable for sustainable food packaging, but the complex fluid dynamics and wall slip phenomenon need to be considered during slot coating. Modeling the particle-depleted boundary layer can predict the coating effects under different conditions.