Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05D—PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05D1/00—Processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials
  • B05D1/30—Processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials performed by gravity only, i.e. flow coating
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05C—APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05C5/00—Apparatus in which liquid or other fluent material is projected, poured or allowed to flow on to the surface of the work
  • B05C5/007—Slide-hopper coaters, i.e. apparatus in which the liquid or other fluent material flows freely on an inclined surface before contacting the work
  • B05C5/008—Slide-hopper curtain coaters
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05D—PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05D1/00—Processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials
  • B05D1/007—Processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials using an electrostatic field
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05D—PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05D1/00—Processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials
  • B05D1/30—Processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials performed by gravity only, i.e. flow coating
  • B05D1/305—Curtain coating
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05D—PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05D3/00—Pretreatment of surfaces to which liquids or other fluent materials are to be applied; After-treatment of applied coatings, e.g. intermediate treating of an applied coating preparatory to subsequent applications of liquids or other fluent materials
  • B05D3/12—Pretreatment of surfaces to which liquids or other fluent materials are to be applied; After-treatment of applied coatings, e.g. intermediate treating of an applied coating preparatory to subsequent applications of liquids or other fluent materials by mechanical means
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05D—PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
  • B05D3/00—Pretreatment of surfaces to which liquids or other fluent materials are to be applied; After-treatment of applied coatings, e.g. intermediate treating of an applied coating preparatory to subsequent applications of liquids or other fluent materials
  • B05D3/14—Pretreatment of surfaces to which liquids or other fluent materials are to be applied; After-treatment of applied coatings, e.g. intermediate treating of an applied coating preparatory to subsequent applications of liquids or other fluent materials by electrical means

Definitions

• This invention relates to an electrostatically assisted coating method and apparatus. More specifically, the invention relates to using electrostatic fields at the point of coating fluid contact with a moving web to achieve improved coating process uniformity.
• Coating is the process of replacing the gas contacting a substrate, usually a solid surface such as a web, by one or more layers of fluid.
• a web is a relatively long flexible substrate or sheet of material, such as a plastic film, paper or synthetic paper, or a metal foil, or discrete parts or sheets. The web can be a continuous belt.
• a coating fluid is functionally useful when applied to the surface of a substrate. Examples of coating fluids are liquids for forming photographic emulsion layers, release layers, priming layers, base layers, protective layers, lubricant layers, magnetic layers, adhesive layers, decorative layers, and coloring layers.
• a coating can remain a fluid such as in the application of lubricating oil to metal in metal coil processing or the application of chemical reactants to activate or chemically transform a substrate surface.
• the coating can be dried if it contains a volatile fluid to leave behind a solid coat such as a paint, or can be cured or in some other way solidified to a functional coating such as a release coating to which a pressure-sensitive adhesive will not aggressively stick.
• the object in a precision coating application is typically to uniformly apply a coating fluid onto a substrate.
• a moving web passes a coating station where a layer of coating fluid is deposited onto one surface of the web.
• Uniformity of coating fluid application onto the web is affected by many factors, including web speed, web surface characteristics, coating fluid viscosity, coating fluid surface tension, and thickness of coating fluid application onto the web.
• Electrostatic coating applications have been used in the printing and photographic areas, where roll and slide coating dominate and lower viscosity conductive fluids are used. Although the electrostatic forces applied to the coating area can delay the onset of entrained air and result in the ability to run at higher web speeds, the electrostatic field that attracts the coating fluid to the web is fairly broad.
• One known method of applying the electrostatic fields employs precharging the web (applying charges to the web before the coating station).
• Another known method employs an energized support roll beneath the web at the coating station.
• Methods of precharging the web include corona wire charging and charged brushes.
• Methods of energizing a support roll include conductive elevated electrical potential rolls, nonconductive roll surfaces that are precharged, and powered semiconductive rolls. While these methods do deliver electrostatic charges to the coating area, they do not present a highly focused electrostatic field at the coater. For example, for curtain coating with a precharged web, the fluid is attracted to the web and the equilibrium position of the fluid/web contact line (wetting line) is determined by a balance of forces. The electrostatic field pulls the coating fluid to the web and pulls the coating fluid upweb.
• U.S. Patent No. 3,052,131 discloses coating an aqueous dispersion using either roll charging or web precharging
• U.S. Patent No. 2,952,559 discloses slide coating emulsions with web precharging
• U.S. Patent No. 3,206,323 discloses viscous fluid coating with web precharging.
• U.S. Patent No. 4,837,045 teaches using a low surface energy undercoating layer for gelatins with a DC voltage on the backup roller.
• a coating fluid that can be used with this method include a gelatin, magnetic, lubricant, or adhesive layer of either a water soluable or organic nature.
• the coating method can include slide, roller bead, spray, extrusion, or curtain coating.
• EP 390774 Bl relates to high speed curtain coating of fluids at speeds of at least
• U.S. Patent No. 5,609,923 discloses a method of curtain coating a moving support where the maximum practical coating speed is increased. Charge may be applied before the coating point or at the coating point by a backing roller. This patent refers to techniques for generating electrostatic voltage as being well known, suggesting that it is referring to the listed examples of a roll beneath the coating point or previous patents where corona charging occurs before coating. This patent also discloses corona charging.
• FIGS. 1 and 2 show known techniques for electrostatically assisting coating applications.
• a web 20 moves longitudinally (in the direction of arrows 22) past a coating station 24.
• the web 20 has a first major side 26 and a second major side 28.
• a coating fluid applicator 30 laterally dispenses a stream of coating fluid 32 onto the first side 26 of the web 20. Accordingly, downstream from the coating station 24, the web 20 bears a coating 34 of the coating fluid 32.
• an electrostatic coating assist for the coating process is provided by applying electrostatic charges to the first side 26 of the web 20 at a charge application station 36 spaced longitudinally upstream from the coating station 24 (the charges could alternatively be applied to the second side 28 of the web 20).
• a laterally disposed corona discharge wire 38 applies positive (or negative) electrical charges 39 to the web 20.
• the wire 38 can be on either the first or second side of the web 20.
• the coating fluid 32 is grounded (such as by grounding the coating fluid applicator 30), and is electrostatically attracted to the charged web 20 at the coating station 24.
• a laterally disposed air dam 40 can be disposed adjacent and upstream of the coating station 24 to reduce web boundary layer air interference at the coating fluid-web interface
• the corona wire could be aligned in free space along the web (as shown in FIG. 1) or alternatively, could be aligned adjacent the first side of the web while the web is in contact with a backing roll at the coating station.
• FIG. 2 shows another known electrostatically assisted coating system.
• a relatively large diameter backing roll 42 supports the second side 28 of the web 20 at the coating station 24.
• the backing roll 42 can be a charged dielectric roll, a powered semiconductive roll, or a conductive roll.
• the conductive and semiconductive rolls can be charged by a high voltage power supply.
• the roll With a dielectric roll, the roll can be provided with electrical charges by suitable means, such as a corona charging assembly 43.
• its outer cylindrical surface 44 is adapted to deliver the electrical charges 39 to the second side 28 of the web 20.
• the electrical charges 39 from the backing roll 42 are positive charges, and the coating fluid 32 is grounded by grounding the coating fluid applicator 30. Accordingly, the coating fluid 32 is electrostatically attracted to charges residing at the interface between the web 20 and the outer cylindrical surface 44 of the roll 42.
• the air dam 40 reduces web boundary layer air interference at the coating fluid-web interface 41.
• Known electrostatically assisted coating arrangements such as those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 assist the coating process by delaying the onset of air entrainment and improving the wetting characteristics at the coating wetting line.
• they apply charges to the web at a location upstream from the wetting line, and generate fairly broad electrostatic fields. They are largely ineffective in maintaining a straight wetting line when there are crossweb coating flow variations or cross-web electrostatic field variations.
• a curtain coater if a localized heavy coating fluid flow area occurs somewhere across the coating curtain, the wetting line in this heavier coating region can move downweb in response. This can create an even heavier coating in this area due to stress and strain on the curtain, especially for fluids which exhibit elastic characteristics
• None of the known apparatus or methods for electrostatically assisted coating discloses a technique for applying a focused electrical field to the web at the coating station from an electrical field applicator to improve the characteristic of the applied fluid coating and also to attain improved processing conditions. There is a need for an electrostatically assisted coating technique that applies a more focused electrical field to the web at the coating station.
• the invention is a method of applying a fluid coating onto a substrate.
• the substrate has a first surface and a second surface.
• the method includes providing relative longitudinal movement between the substrate and a fluid coating station and forming a fluid wetting line by introducing, at an angle of from 0° through 180°, a stream of fluid onto the first side of the substrate along a laterally disposed fluid-web contact area at the coating station.
• An electrical force is created on the fluid from an electrical field originating from electrical charges which are on the second side of the substrate substantially at and downstream of the fluid wetting line.
• the electrical force can be created by transferring the electrical charges through a fluid medium and depositing the electrical charges onto the second surface of the substrate, transferring electrical charges from a charge source and depositing the electrical charges onto the second surface of the substrate using physical contact between a portion of the charge source and the substrate, or both.
• the electrical charges can be transferred from a laterally extending corona discharge source closely spaced from the second surface of the substrate at the fluid coating station.
• the transfer of electrical charges upstream from the fluid wetting line can be further limited by providing an electrical barrier for shielding upweb portions of the web from the electrical charges.
• the substrate can be supported, adjacent the fluid coating station, on the second surface.
• the electrical charges are formed as first charges at a location distant from the substrate, transferred to a laterally disposed charge application zone adjacent the second surface of the substrate at the fluid wetting line, and applied onto the second surface of the substrate at a location on the substrate that is substantially at and downstream of the fluid wetting line to create an electrical force on the fluid.
• the stream of fluid can be formed with a coating fluid dispenser such as a curtain coater, a bead coater, an extrusion coater, carrier fluid coating methods, a slide coater, a knife coater, a jet coater, a notch bar, a roll coater or a fluid bearing coater.
• a coating fluid dispenser such as a curtain coater, a bead coater, an extrusion coater, carrier fluid coating methods, a slide coater, a knife coater, a jet coater, a notch bar, a roll coater or a fluid bearing coater.
• the stream of fluid can be tangentially introduced onto the first surface of the substrate.
• the electrical charges can have a first polarity and the method can include applying second opposite polarity electrical charges to the fluid.
• the method of applying a fluid coating onto a substrate can include applying second opposite polarity electrical charges to the fluid.
• the method includes providing relative longitudinal movement between the substrate and a fluid coating station.
• the method further includes forming a fluid wetting line by introducing, at a angle of 0° through 180°, a stream of coating fluid onto the first surface of the substrate along a laterally disposed fluid-web contact area at the coating station.
• the method further includes exposing effective electrostatic charges on the substrate to the fluid only at a location on the substrate that is substantially at and downstream of the fluid wetting line.
• the exposing step can further comprise depositing the electrical charges onto one of the first or second sides of the substrate at a location upweb from the fluid coating station.
• the exposing step can further include rendering the electrical charges ineffective as electrostatic charges relative to the fluid until the electrical charges are at least substantially at the fluid wetting line.
• the exposing step of the inventive method further includes applying electrical charges to the substrate upweb from the fluid wetting line, and masking any effective electrostatic attractive forces between the electrical charges on the web and the fluid until the electrical charges are at least substantially at the fluid wetting line.
• the electrical charges are applied to the first surface of the substrate and the masking step further comprises providing a grounded surface adjacent and spaced from the second surface of the substrate, with the grounded surface extending along the substrate from a trailing edge just upweb of the fluid wetting line to a leading edge spaced upweb further therefrom.
• the invention is also an apparatus for applying a coating fluid onto a substrate which has a first surface on a first side and a second surface on a second side and is moved longitudinally relative to the apparatus.
• the apparatus includes means for dispensing a stream of coating fluid onto the first surface of the substrate to form a fluid wetting line along a laterally disposed fluid-web contact area and an electrical charge applicator extending laterally across the second side of the substrate.
• the electrical charge applicator is aligned generally opposite the fluid wetting line on the first surface of the substrate to charge the substrate at a location on the substrate that is substantially at and downstream of the fluid wetting line.
• the electrical charge applicator can include a laterally extending charged wire, a sharp-edged member, a sharp-edged conductive sheet, a series of needles, a brush, or a jagged knife edge.
• the electrical charge applicator can include an electrical charge source, for producing electrical charges as first electrical charges, distant from the second surface of the substrate, and a fluid medium.
• the fluid medium is disposed between the electrical charge source and the second surface of the substrate to transfer the first electrical charges from the electrical charge source to a laterally disposed charge application zone adjacent the second surface of the substrate at the fluid wetting line and to apply the first electrical charges onto the second surface of the substrate.
• the electrical charge applicator can be uniformly spaced from the second surface of the substrate.
• An air bearing can extend laterally across the substrate adjacent the electrical charge applicator for supporting and aligning the second side of the substrate relative to the electrical charge applicator.
• An electrostatic field barrier can be disposed near the electrical charge applicator and the substrate to shield portions of the web upstream from the fluid wetting line from electrical charges from the electrical charge applicator. Electrical charges from the electrical charge applicator can have a first polarity, and charges having a second, opposite polarity can be applied to the coating fluid.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a known electrostatic coating apparatus where charges are applied to the moving web before it enters a coating station from an upweb corona wire.
• FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a known electrostatic coating apparatus where charges are delivered to the moving web from a backing roll under the moving web at the coating station.
• FIG. 3 is a schematic view of one embodiment of the electrostatically assisted coating apparatus of the present invention where a corona source applies charges to the moving web at the coating station.
• FIG. 4 is an enlarged schematic view of a portion of FIG. 2 illustrating the applied electrostatic charges and lines of force.
• FIG. 5 is an enlarged schematic view of a portion of FIG. 3 illustrating the applied electrostatic charges and lines of force during coating operations.
• FIG. 6 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the electrostatically assisted coating apparatus of the present invention, where an air bearing assembly houses a corona wire.
• FIG. 7 is an enlarged schematic view of the air bearing assembly with the corona wire of FIG. 6.
• FIG. 8 is an enlarged schematic view of an alternative air bearing assembly with a conductive strip.
• FIG. 9 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the electrostatically assisted coating apparatus of the present invention, illustration one application of its use for tangential curtain coating.
• FIGS. 10 and 11 are schematic views of other embodiments of the electrostatically assisted coating apparatus of the present invention showing remote locations for the source of electrical charges.
• This invention includes an apparatus and coating method which use more focused electrostatic fields at the interface between a substrate (such as a web) to be coated and a fluid coating material applied on the substrate.
• the inventors have found that more focused electrostatic fields can improve the coating process by stabilizing, straightening and dictating the position of the coating wetting line, allowing wider process windows to be achieved.
• the invention makes possible a wider range of coating weights, coating speeds, coating geometries, web features such as dielectric strengths, coating fluid characteristics such as viscosity, surface tension, and elasticity, and die-to-web gaps, as well as improving cross web coating uniformity.
• much lower energy systems lower current
• the invention is described with respect to smooth, continuous coatings, the invention also can be used while applying discontinuous coatings.
• electrostatics can be used to help coat a substrate having a macrostructure such as voids which are filled with the coating, whether or not there is continuity between the coating in adjacent voids.
• the substrate can be any surface of any material that is desired to be coated, including a web.
• a web can be any sheet-like material such as polyester, polypropylene, paper, or non woven materials.
• the improved wettability of the coating is particularly useful in rough textured or porous webs, regardless of whether the pores are microscopic or macroscopic.
• the illustrated examples show a web moving past a stationary coating applicator, the web can be stationary while the coating applicator moves, or both the web and coating applicator can move relative to a fixed point.
• the invention relates to a method of applying a fluid coating onto a substrate such as a web and includes providing relative longitudinal movement between the web and a fluid coating station.
• a stream of coating fluid is introduced onto the first side of the web along a laterally disposed fluid wetting line at a coating station.
• the coating fluid is introduced at any angle of from 0° through 180°.
• An electrical force is created on the fluid from an electrical field originating from charges which are located on the second side of the web and at a location on the web that is substantially at and downstream of the fluid wetting line.
• the electrical field can be generated by charges that have been transferred by any method and deposited on the second side of the web.
• the charges can be transferred to the second side of the web through a fluid medium or by direct contact.
• the coating fluid can include solvent-based fluids, thermoplastic fluid melts, emulsions, dispersions, miscible and immiscible fluid mixtures, inorganic fluids, and 100% solids fluids.
• Solvent-based coating fluids include solvents that are waterbased and also organic in nature. Certain safety precautions must be taken when dealing with volatile solvents, for example that are flammable, because static discharges can create hazards, such as, fires or explosions. Such precautions are known, and could include using an inert atmosphere in the region where static discharges might occur.
• the invention uses a focused source of electrical charges, such as a narrow conductive electrode extending linearly in the cross-web direction where the wetting line should occur, on the side of the web opposite the coating fluid.
• a focused source of electrical charges such as a narrow conductive electrode extending linearly in the cross-web direction where the wetting line should occur, on the side of the web opposite the coating fluid.
• the desired wetting line is typically the gravity-determined coating fluid wetting line (with no electrostatics applied) when the web is stationary (or initial coating fluid wetting line (with no electrostatics applied) when the web is stationary).
• the narrow conductive electrode could be, for example, a continuous corona wire (such as corona wire 50 in FIG. 3), discretely spaced needle points, a brush, or any member with a sharp edge that can generate a corona discharge.
• the high electrostatic field gradient near the narrow electrode creates a corona discharge from the electrode, with the charges migrating towards the conductive coating fluid, but being stopped by the dielectric barrier of the web.
• the source of electrical charges may also be remotely located with charges subsequently being transferred to the backside of the web and focused substantially at or downstream of the wetting line.
• the charges can be directly deposited to the backside of the web from a solid structure contacting the backside of the web such as, for example, a brush, a conductive film, or a member with a small radius portion. Again, the charges are focused substantially at or downstream of the wetting line.
• the coating fluid is drawn to the more sharply defined wetting line, retains a more linear crossweb profile, and stabilizes the wetting line by tending to lock it into position. This means that the normal balance of forces that dictate the wetting line position are less important, and that non- linearities in the wetting line are less pronounced.
• process variations such as coating flow rates, coating crossweb uniformity, web speed variations, incoming web charge variations, and other process variations, have less effect on the coating process.
• a non-contacting electrostatic charge application system of the present invention (e.g., such as in FIG. 3), works well with lower dielectric strength webs and with conductive coating fluids.
• known electrostatic assist coating current flows that are higher than necessary to create the desired attractive force can occur because the roll is close to the web surface. This necessitates higher energy systems and creates greater shock hazards.
• arcing from the electrode through the web to the coating fluid is more likely to occur, especially for lower dielectric strength materials.
• the electrode-to-web gap is from (0.2 cm (0.10 in) to 5 cm (2 in).
• the gap is 1.9 cm (0.75 in).
• closer gaps can increase aggressiveness and larger gaps 2.5 cm (1 in) to 5 cm (2 in)) can further reduce arcing and enhance the ability to run low dielectric strength materials.
• FIG. 3 illustrates an embodiment of the inventive electrostatically assisted coating apparatus using a focused web charge field which can achieve better aggressiveness (i.e., coating fluid-web attraction at the desired wetting line location) and wetting line linearity than known arrangements.
• the inventors found that by distancing the electrode from the web and using small diameter wires such that the electrode acts as a corona wire, the field can remain focused while arcing and current flows are reduced. In this case, the field emanating from the wire itself does not create the main attractive force on the coating fluid.
• the main force is from corona charges from the wire that are transferred, though the air or other connecting medium, to the backside of the web and congregate at the wetting line. These charges on the backside of the web create the strong attractive force on the coating fluid.
• the charges from the wire do not tend to be attracted to the web substantially upweb of the wetting line, because the primary attraction is to the coating fluid at the wetting line.
• the field can become more highly focused by providing barriers or shaping fields to limit the flow of charges either upweb or downweb from the desired wetting line.
• a laterally extending corona discharge wire 50 is spaced from the second side 28 of the web 20, longitudinally close to the coating station 24 that includes the lateral coating wetting line 52.
• the web 20 is supported at the coating station 24 between a pair of support rolls 54, 56.
• the web 20 can be supported at the coating station 24 by support panels, slides, tracks, or other supports.
• the air dam 40 can be any suitable physical barrier which limits ambient air interference at the wetting line.
• FIG. 3 exhibits the inventive method with a curtain coating operation, but it is also functional with other coating geometries.
• a stream of coating fluid 32 is delivered from the coating fluid applicator 30 onto a first surface on the first side 26 of the web 20.
• the coating fluid applicator 30 can be grounded, to ground the coating fluid 32 relative to the electrical charges 58 applied to the web 20 by the corona discharge wire 50.
• an opposite electrical charge can be applied to the coating fluid 32 such as by a suitable electrode device; also the applied polarities of the electrical charges to the coating fluid 32 and web 20 can be reversed. This method can be particularly useful when using lower electrical conductivity coating fluids. For example, for a low conductivity coating fluid, charges can be applied to the coating fluid before coating, whether through the die or by a corona.
• This system can be utilized when insufficient electrostatic aggressiveness is seen due to the use of low conductivity coating fluids.
• the die potential can be raised to create the opposite polarity in the coating fluid.
• the opposite polarity can be applied to the coating fluid anywhere along the conductive, isolated path.
• an upstream side shield 60 extends laterally adjacent the corona discharge wire 50 to help prevent discharged ions from being attracted to the second side 28 of the web 20 upstream from the coating wetting line 52.
• the upstream side shield 60 can be formed from a nonconductive or insulating material, such as DelrinTM acetal resin made by E. I. du Pont de Nemours of Wilmington Delaware or from a semiconductive or conductive material held at ground potential or an elevated potential.
• the upweb side shield 60 is formed in any shape to achieve the desired electrical barrier for shielding upweb portions of the web 20 from the electrical charges of the corona discharge wire 50.
• a downweb shield can also be used, which can reduce excessive charge transfer downweb.
• Upweb and downweb shields are preferably spaced equidistant from the wire, although other spacings can be functional.
• a physical barrier type shield is shown, other types of shields can be used, such as a counteracting electrostatic field.
• FIG. 4 is an expanded view of the system in FIG. 2, showing the lines of force 66 generated by the electrostatic charges 39 relative to the coating fluid 32.
• the desired wetting line is the gravity-determined coating fluid wetting line when the web is stationary (or initial coating fluid wetting line when the web is stationary) and, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, is the top dead center of the charged roll.
• other wetting line positions are common and depend on the type of coating die, fluid properties, and web path.
• the lines of force 66 indicate that for a charged roll (like the roll 42 in FIG. 2) the forces are not well focused and the charges are exerting forces on the coating fluid substantially upweb of the wetting line (e.g., on upweb area 67).
• the charges exert forces on the coating fluid substantially upweb from the desired wetting line.
• the charges do not exert functional forces on the coating fluid substantially upweb from the desired wetting line that adversely affect the wetting line uniformity (i.e., the charges on the web are ineffective upweb relative to the coating fluid).
• FIG. 5 is an expanded view of the inventive system in FIG. 3, showing where the charges transferred to a second surface on the second side of the web are more focused beneath the coating fluid and web contact line.
• the lines of force 68 are more focused, thus creating a more sharply defined and linear wetting line, and which stabilizes the wetting line by tending to lock it into position across the web travel path.
• Further focusing techniques such as the shield 60 shown in FIG. 3, can also improve focusing. Viscous and elastic fluids can require a higher degree of focusing since variations in contact line uniformity can cause larger variations in coating thickness, as compared to a lower viscosity and elasticity fluid.
• FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate yet another embodiment of the electrostatically assisted coating apparatus of the present invention. As illustrated in
• a laterally extending electrode 100 extends along the second side 28 of the web 20.
• the electrode 100 may be formed from, for example, a continuous corona wire, discretely spaced needle points, a brush, or any member with a sharp edge that can generate a corona discharge.
• the electrode 100 is disposed within an adjacent web air bearing 102, which can act as an upweb shield and downweb shield.
• the air bearing 102 stabilizes the web position and web vibrations which otherwise can have an adverse effect on coating stability and uniformity.
• the air bearing 102 preferably has a porous membrane 104 (such as, porous polyethylene) in fluid communication with an air manifold chamber 106.
• Pressurized air is provided to the air manifold chamber 106 via one or more suitable inlets 108, as indicated by arrow 110.
• the air flows through the air manifold chamber 106 and into the porous membrane 104.
• the porous membrane 104 has a relatively smooth and generally radiused bearing surface 112 positioned adjacent the second side 28 of the web 20. Air exiting the bearing surface 112 supports the web 20 as it traverses the coating station 24 and electrode 100, and creates a media spacing (i.e., air) between the electrode 100 and the second side 28 of the web 20.
• a media spacing i.e., air
• FIGS. 6 and 7 forms a narrow distribution of electrostatic field lines adjacent the fluid wetting line which constrains the coating fluid/web wetting line to a straight line at a desired location.
• the electrostatic effects increase the coating fluid wettability on the web and "lock" the coating fluid/web contact line into a stable line extending laterally across the web.
• the web 20 ranged from a 0.013 cm (0.005 in) thick paper backing to a 0.0076 cm (0.003 in) thick paper liner with a release layer on the second side, and the coating fluid 32 was a waterbased dispersion with a viscosity of approximately 850 centipoise.
• the flow rate of the coating fluid in the curtain was set so that at a web speed of 111.25 m/min (365 ft/min), we would achieve about 10.6 micron (0.0042 in) dry coating thickness.
• Different curtain heights were evaluated, from 5.72 cm (2.25 in) down to 0.64 cm (0.25 in).
• the corona discharge wire was a 0.0152 cm (0.006 in) diameter tungsten wire located typically 1.9 cm (0.75 in) below the second side
• the power supply was an EH series high voltage power supply manufactured by Glassman High Voltage, Inc. of Whitehouse Station, New Jersey.
• a DelrinTM upweb side shield 60 was spaced 1.27 cm (0.5 in) from the corona discharge wire 50. Web speeds up to 198.12 m/min (650 ft/min) were observed, using 15 kilovolts.
• the curtain flow rate was doubled and maximum web speeds of 618.16 m/min (1700 ft/min) were attained with 17 kilovolts.
• Current usage was lower than observed with a powered support roll system, and was generally less than 15 microamps per in. of width. This system was the most aggressive system used and was the least sensitive to process variations.
• the inventive non-contact corona charging system creates an adaptive system that applies a substantially uniform crossweb charge distribution on the second side of the web at the coating fluid wetting line, but with a fairly abrupt decrease in second side charges upweb of the wetting line.
• the web 20 was a 0.0036 cm (0.0014 in) polyester backing which was coated using an inventive system apparatus similar to that shown in FIG. 6.
• an air bearing 102a (FIG. 8) was used, which supported an electrode 100a.
• the electrode 100a was a laterally disposed conductive strip about 0.94 cm (0.37 in) long (in direction of web travel) with upweb and downweb edges of the conductive strip adhered to the bearing surface 112a of the air bearing 102a (to prevent corona discharges at those edges).
• the coating fluid 32 was a waterbased emulsion with a viscosity of approximately
• the inventive electrostatic assisted coating apparatus of FIG. 3 was used with the same coating fluid and polyester substrate as the above example (the web 20 was a 0.0036 cm (0.0014 in) polyester backing, and the coating fluid 32 was a waterbased emulsion with a viscosity of approximately 800 centipoise).
• the coating curtain flow rate was adjusted to yield a dry coating thickness of 19 microns (0.00075 in) at a web speed of
• the electrostatically assisted coating system of FIG. 3 was more aggressive than expected and the coating wetting line was linear and stable.
• the interaction between the grounded conductive coating fluid 32 and the corona discharge wire 50 creates an abrupt and intense application of electrical charges 58 on the second side 28 of the web 20 along a desired lateral fluid wetting line (see FIG. 5).
• Using upweb shielding further increases the abruptness of the field.
• the linearity of the contact line was much better with the coating system of FIG. 3 than with a known dielectric backing roll system such as illustrated in FIG. 2.
• the FIG. 3 arrangement is flexible and self- compensating and creates an electrostatic focused electrostatic field gradient. This system is simpler, safer (since lower current levels are used), and less likely to suffer the effects of a dielectric breakdown of the web as compared to known systems.
• the system of FIG. 3 also eliminates the high current requirements when using waterbased or conductive fluids. Typically, a current of more than 98.43 microamps per cm (250 microamps per in) width (of web) can be required when using a conductive energized backing roll for known electrostatically assisted coating when coating at very high web speeds. However, with the corona discharge wire of FIG. 3, the current requirement for electrostatic charge generation is generally reduced to 9.843 microamps per cm (25 microamps per in) width or less.
• the FIG. 3 system has a very low shock hazard, and accordingly, is safer.
• suitable size resistors or other current limiting systems
• the corona discharge wire 50 is closely spaced from the second side 28 of the web 20.
• the corona discharge wire 50 should be spaced from the second side 28 of the web 20 to provide an air gap to obtain an effective corona discharge effect.
• the wire-to-web spacing depends on a number of factors, including, for example, web thickness and dielectric strength, coating fluid conductivity and web speed.
• the spacing is preferably in the range of 0.08 cm (0.031 in) to 5.1 cm (3 in), and more preferably in the range of 1.58 cm (0.625 in) to 1.9 cm (0.75 in).
• the spacing of the upstream side shield 60 from the corona discharge wire 50 is preferably 0.15 cm (0.06 in) to 7.7 cm (3.0 in).
• a side shield can also be provided a similar distance downstream from the corona discharge wire 50 to further limit the loss of charges from the corona discharge effect. This prevents unnecessary charges from going downstream of the desired coating wetting line.
• the corona discharge wire 50 can be positioned directly under the initial wetting line of the coating fluid 32 on the web 20. Web movement, surface tension, boundary layer effects on the first side of the web 20 and the elasticity of the coating fluid 30 can cause the coating wetting line to shift downweb. Because of the strong electrostatic attraction that can be achieved with this invention, the location of the corona discharge wire 50 will tend to dictate the operational location of the coating wetting line when the coating assist corona discharge wire 50 is activated.
• the location of the corona discharge wire 50 (upstream or downstream from the initial coating wetting line) can cause a corresponding movement of the wetting line, as it aligns itself with the opposed attracted electrical charges.
• the corona discharge wire 50 is positioned no more than 2.54 cm (1.0 in) upstream or downstream from where the initial wetting line would fall if unaffected by charges.
• the use of a corona discharge wire spaced from the web adjacent the wetting line also lends itself well to tangential fluid coating.
• FIG. 9 A tangential coating apparatus using an air bearing to house an electrostatic coating assist corona wire is shown in FIG. 9 (using an air bearing/electrode assembly such as illustrated in FIG. 7). The width "w" of the channel (FIG.
• the corona wire in the air bearing 102 housing the corona wire is preferably 0.635 cm (0.25 in) to 1.9 cm (0.75 in) but can be larger or smaller.
• Tangential curtain coating is generally capable of running coating fluids with higher extensional viscosities than is possible with horizontal curtain coating geometries.
• the tangential coating arrangement of FIG. 9 yields less of a coating curtain directional change at the wetting line and has the additional production advantage that if the web 20 breaks, the corona discharge wire 50 is not as readily contaminated with coating fluid 32. Modifying the arrangement to include a continuously moving or intermittently moving corona discharge wire would ensure a clean wire. Additionally, an air flow around the wire to keep particles from attaching to the wire (which is desirable in terms of long term production durability) can be used.
• FIG. 10 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the focused web charge electrostatically assisted coating apparatus.
• the electrostatic charges applied to the web 20 are created by a charge generator remotely spaced from the web, and then are transferred by a suitable medium to the second side 28 of the web 20.
• this version defines the position of the coating wetting line, minimizes the air boundary layer, and enlarges the acceptable process parameters.
• a laterally extending corona discharge wire 80 is disposed within a drum 82.
• the corona discharge wire 80 is remotely spaced at least 7.62 cm (3.0 in) from the web 20.
• the drum 82 may be conductively shielded adjacent the web 20, such as by shields 84, 86.
• the shields 84, 86 may be grounded or elevated to a desired potential.
• the shields 84, 86 are separated by a laterally extending slot 88, and the cylindrical wall of the drum 82 has a laterally extending slot 90 which is generally aligned with the slot 88.
• the interior of the drum 82 is open to the exterior through the slots 88, 90.
• the drum 82 can also incorporate an inlet 91 for air flow through the drum 82.
• Ions or electrical charges 92 discharged from the corona discharge wire 80 are contained within the drum 82 and can only escape the drum 82 (adjacent its upper portion) through the slots 88, 90.
• the upweb edge of the slot 88 is typically aligned to be adjacent the initial coating wetting line 52.
• the charges 92 from the corona discharge wire 80 are only applied to the second side 28 of the web 20 via the slots 88, 90. There is no contact between the charge generator and the web 20.
• This system creates an abrupt and highly focused laterally disposed application of charges 92 to the web 20, even though those charges 92 are generated remote from the web 20 without any contact between the charge generator and the web 20. While a drum is shown, other geometries for application of charges remotely created are also contemplated, such as a rectangular or triangular structure with the current supplied by an ion blower or charged wire.
• FIG. 11 Another embodiment of the electrostatically assisted coating apparatus of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 11, and shows another means for providing electrostatic charges at a position remote from the coating station 24.
• a laterally extending electrical charge applicator such as a corona discharge wire 130
• the corona discharge wire 130 applies electrostatic charges 132 to the first side 26 of the web 20 at a charge application station 134 spaced longitudinally upstream from the coating station 24.
• a grounded surface or plate 136 is aligned along and spaced from the second side 28 of the web 20, upweb from the coating station 24.
• the corona wire 130 may be positioned at a point above the grounded plate 136 (as shown) or may be at a position further upstream from a leading end 137 of the grounded plate 136.
• a trailing end 138 of the exposed grounded plate 136 ends essentially slightly upweb of the initial lateral coating wetting line 52. The location of the trailing edge 138 will, in large part, establish the wetting line when electrostatics are activated.
• the trailing edge 138 is within one in on either side of the initial wetting line.
• the plate 136 may extend downweb past the initial wetting line as long as it is effectively shielded to define a trailing edge of the plate.
• the corona discharge wire 130 applies electrical charges 132 to the first side 26 of the web 20.
• the electrostatic attraction of the charges 132 on the web 20 to the plate 136 is greater than the attraction of the charges 132 to the grounded coating fluid 32 (because of the proximity of the plate to the web) until the charges 132 become closer to the grounded fluid 32 than the grounded plate 136, and especially at the trailing edge 138 of the plate 136 (which creates the more focused field).
• the grounded fluid 32 is then drawn to the charges 132 in the web 20, thereby electrostatically assisting in defining the wetting line in the highly focused manner of the present invention and its attendant advantages, as described above.
• the upweb electrostatic charges 132 are "masked” or rendered ineffective as attractive charges relative to the coating fluid 32 until near the trailing end 138 of the grounded plate 136 (at which point the electrostatic charges 132 on the web 20 become effective (i.e., attractive) charges relative to the coating fluid 32 to electrostatically assist in defining the wetting line in accordance with the herein stated principles of the invention).
• the plate 136 is preferably grounded, it may also suffice to provide a plate or surface which has a slightly elevated potential (so long as it serves the purpose of rendering the electrical charges deposited on the web ineffective until they reach the coating fluid contact line).
• the potential of the plate is electrically opposite the potential of the charges 132.
• FIG. 11 illustrates the use of a corona discharge wire 130 to deliver charges 132 to the first side 26 of the web 20, the charges could be applied to the web by any suitable charge delivery scheme, and could even be deposited on the second side 28 of the web 20. Regardless of how the web 20 is charged, the invention renders those charges effective for electrostatic attraction purposes only substantially at and downweb of the fluid wetting line.
• Comparative coating runs were conducted (using glycerin as the coating fluid) to demonstrate the feasibility and utility of masking charges to create more focused fields.
• the system used was similar to the system of FIG. 11, except that the web precharging step was accomplished on an idler roll upweb of the coating station.
• the gap between the web charging wire and the 7.62 cm (3 in) diameter idler roll was about 1.8 cm (0.7 in).
• the grounded plate was aluminum, with the surface facing the web being 10.8 cm (4.25 in) long and 30.5 cm (12 in) wide.
• the gap between the grounded plate and the web at the coating station was about 0.32 cm (0.125 in).
• the edges of the plate were covered with 3M Type 33 electrical tape to prevent corona discharges from the edges of the plate.
• the die position was adjusted such that a vertically falling curtain of coating fluid would contact the web at the leading edge of the tape at the taped trailing edge of the grounded plate with no electrostatics and a stationary web.
• the gap between the web and the die was 1.43 cm (0.56 in).
• the polyester web was 30.48 cm (12 in) wide with a thickness of 0.00356 cm (0.0014 in).
• the die was a slide curtain die with a 25.4 cm (10 in) coating width and a die slot thickness of 0.076 cm (0.030 in).
• the coating fluid was glycerin (99.7% pure) from the Milsolv ® Minnesota Corporation.
• the curtain height was set at 1.9 cm (0.75 in).
• the measured viscosity of the coating fluid was about 1060 centipoise and its surface tension was about 46 dyne/cm.
• the flow rate of the glycerin was set to attain a wet coating thickness of 51 microns (0.002 in) at a web speed of 30.5 m/min (100 ft/min).
• the wetting line was about at the vertical position with a linearity of plus or minus 0.32 cm (0.125 in) and stable, at a web speed of 1.53 m/min (5 feet/min). Further increases in voltage did not cause the wetting line to move upward and resulted in increased linearity. This system also allowed the web speed to be increased. At 24.4 m/min (80 feet/min) the wetting line was stable about at the vertical position with a visual linearity of approximately plus or minus 0.08 cm (1/32 in) at 20 kilovolts.
• the system as shown in FIG. 3 was used.
• the web precharging and grounded charge masking plate were not used, otherwise the system was the same as the last test, with the curtain height being about 1.9 cm (0.75 in).
• the wetting line was 0.32 (0.125 in) downweb of the vertical position and was linear and stable with no air entrainment.
• the wetting line position was vertical (directly above the wire).
• the web speed was then increased to 30.48 m/min (100 ft/min) at 20 kilovolts, and the wetting line remained at the vertical position with a linear and stable wetting line and no visual air entrainment.
• FIGS. 3 and 11 demonstrate that the systems of FIGS. 3 and 11 can focus the fields to create a linear and stable wetting line and allow higher coating speeds. Additionally, it was seen that the system of FIG. 3 was more aggressive and appeared to have wider operating windows. The system of FIG. 11 can be functional where a less aggressive electrostatic assist is required.
• Masking charges is yet another way of creating the more focused fields. Numerous other ways are also feasible, including utilizing field shaping techniques using opposing fields or charge sources or any system which shapes the field.
• FIGS. 3, 6, 9, 10, and 11 illustrate but some of the many variations of an apparatus for applying electrical charges to the second side of the web at the coating station. Numerous other arrangements for achieving the improved process conditions of the present invention would be apparent to one skilled in the art as falling within the spirit and scope of this disclosure.
• a significant advantage of generating the electrical charges at a location remote from the coating station, and then transferring those charges through a fluid medium (like air) to the web, is a simplification of the structure for ease of maintenance and operation.
• the electrical charge generator need not be adjacent the coating fluid applicator or even at the coating station. Moreover, if the web breaks, contamination of the electrical charge generator by coating fluid can be minimized or avoided.
• any method may be used to create the focused web charge field.
• numerous coating processes can benefit from more focused electrostatic fields.
• the focused field above the initial wetting line can improve the aggressiveness, wetability and process stability.
• the electrostatic focused field can also be made to be laterally discontinuous, to coat only particular downweb stripes of the coating fluid onto the web, or can be energized to begin coating in an area and de-engerized to stop coating in an area, to create an island of coating fluid on the web or patterns of coating fluid thereon of a desired nature.
• the electrostatic field can also be made to be non-linear, for example by a laterally non-linear corona source, to create a non-linear contact line and a non-uniform coating. Thus, if an electrode has a downweb curvature in a particular laterally disposed area, the coating in that area can be thicker as compared to adjacent areas. All cited materials are incorporated into this disclosure by reference.

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