An investigation of electrostatic assist in dynamic wetting

Electrostatic assist is widely used in liquid coating processes to promote high coating speeds by postponing the onset of air entrainment. However, very little research has been published on the interaction of electrostatic forces with coating flows. The present work seeks to address this deficiency and to show the way in which an electrostatic field can promote dynamic wetting. A simple theory is developed in which the electrostatic field and the resultant farces are treated independently of the liquid flow. Electrostatic equations are derived and incorporated within the molecular kinetic theory of dynamic wetting. Experimental evidence is presented which demonstrates the utility of this approach.