Obtaining high performance coatings through simple latex film simulations

Latex film formation through evaporation deposition: Monte Carlo Study

In the formation of high performance coatings, it is known that the process whereby a film forms from a colloidal dispersion is a key step. Conversely, how the solvent evaporation process affects the structure of the film during this stage is not well understood. The irreversible nature of the evaporation process necessitates the use of non-standard theoretical methods and even simple models can be important tools.

In this paper published in AZojomo*, researchers Yuri Reyes, Flavio Vázquez and Yurko Duda, from Universidad Nacional Autόnoma de México (UNAM), Instituto Mexicano del Petróleo and the Institute for Condensed Matter Physics, applied the simplest model of the evaporation process. Drying rate and viscosity of a continuous medium were used as variables in a Monte Carlo (MC) simulation to study film formation.

The viscosity of the material caused by diffusion of colloidal particles was found to affect film formation. However, as the drying rate decreased, the influence of the is phenomenon diminishes. It was demonstrated that by lowering the drying rate, a higher density and more organized film structure could be obtained.