Effect of Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) on Drying Rate of Polymer Films Based on Heat and Mass Transfer

Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) drying of Poly (vinyl acetate) latex films was investigated in a wind tunnel, experimentally. The influence of various conditions such as the air temperature, air velocity, and the concentration of latex solution, in the presence and the absence of a high electric field, was investigated. The effects of the applied voltage intensity, electrode gap, number of needle electrodes, and polarity of corona on the drying rate of polymer films were carried out. The drying behavior of films in a wind tunnel was obtained by the weighting method and analyzed based on heat and mass transfer. Results showed the role importance of EHD on the drying rate of the polymer film. Increasing the intensity of the electric field, number, and configuration of needle electrodes, and decreasing the electrode gap leads to a significant enhancement of the drying rate of a polymer film. Scanning electron microscope images (SEM) were used to analyze the effect of EHD on the morphology of dried films.