Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-12T22:17:01.491Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Analysis of droplet stability after ejection from an inkjet nozzle

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 April 2018

Yonghong Zhong ,
Haisheng Fang Open the ORCID record for Haisheng Fang [Opens in a new window] ,
Qianli Ma  and
Xuran Dong
Yonghong Zhong
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Coal Combustion, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
Haisheng Fang*
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Coal Combustion, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
Qianli Ma
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Coal Combustion, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
Xuran Dong
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Coal Combustion, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430074, China
*
†Email address for correspondence: hafang@hust.edu.cn
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Inkjet technology is a commendable tool in many applications including graphics printing, bioengineering and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS). Droplet stability is a key factor influencing inkjet performance. The stability can be analysed using dimensionless numbers that usually combine thermophysical properties and system dimensions. In this paper, a drop-on-demand (DOD) inkjet experimental system is established. A numerical model is developed to investigate the influence of the operating conditions on droplet stability, including nozzle dimensions, driving parameters (the pulse amplitude and width used to drive droplet formation) and fluid properties. The results indicate that the stability can be improved by decreasing the pulse amplitude and width, decreasing the fluid density and viscosity or increasing the nozzle diameter and fluid surface tension. Based on case analysis and modelling, a dimensionless number ($Z$), the reciprocal of the Ohnesorge number, is numerically determined for a stable droplet to lie in a range between 4 and 8. To explicitly combine the driving parameters, a new stability criterion, $Pj$, is further proposed. A general rule taking into account both $Pj$ and $Z$ is proposed for choosing appropriate driving parameters to eject stable droplets for a known nozzle and fluid, which is further validated by experiments.

JFM classification

Drops and Bubbles: Drops Multiphase and Particle-laden Flows: Gas/liquid flow Flow Control: Instability control
Type
JFM Papers
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 845 , 25 June 2018 , pp. 378 - 391
Check for updates
Copyright
© 2018 Cambridge University Press 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ambravaneswaran, B., Wilkes, E. D. & Basaran, O. A. 2002 Drop formation from a capillary tube: comparison of one-dimensional and two-dimensional analyses and occurrence of satellite drops. Phys. Fluids 14, 2606–2621.Google Scholar
Bogy, D. B. & Talke, F. 1984 Experimental and theoretical study of wave propagation phenomena in drop-on-demand ink jet devices. IBM J. Res. Dev. 28, 314–321.Google Scholar
Calvert, P. 2001 Inkjet printing for materials and devices. Chem. Mater. 13, 3299–3305.Google Scholar
Chen, A. U. & Basaran, O. A. 2002 A new method for significantly reducing drop radius without reducing nozzle radius in drop-on-demand drop production. Phys. Fluids 14, L1–L4.Google Scholar
Choi, I. H., Kim, Y. K., Lee, S., Lee, S. H. & Kim, J. 2015 A pneumatic drop-on-demand printing system with an extended printable liquid range. J. Microelectromech. Syst. 24, 768–770.Google Scholar
Dong, H., Carr, W. W. & Morris, J. F. 2006a An experimental study of drop-on-demand drop formation. Phys. Fluids 18, 1842–1881.Google Scholar
Dong, H., Carr, W. W. & Morris, J. F. 2006b Visualization of drop-on-demand inkjet: drop formation and deposition. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 77, 085101.Google Scholar
Duineveld, P. C. & Haskal, E. I. 2002 Ink-jet printing of polymer light-emitting devices. Proc. SPIE 4464, 59–67.Google Scholar
Fromm, J. E. 1984 Numerical calculation of the fluid dynamics of drop-on-demand jets. IBM J. Res. Dev. 28, 322–333.Google Scholar
Gao, Z., Ng, K., Furlani, E., Chwalek, J. & Hawkins, G. 2010 MEMS-based microfluidic devices. In Paper Presented at the ASME 2010 8th International Conference on Nanochannels, Microchannels, and Minichannels collocated with 3rd Joint US-European Fluids Engineering Summer Meeting, pp. 863–868. ASME.Google Scholar
Gardini, D., Dondi, M., Costa, A. L., Matteucci, F., Blosi, M., Galassi, C. & Cinotti, E. 2008 Nano-sized ceramic inks for drop-on-demand ink-jet printing in quadrichromy. J. Nanosci. Nanotechnol. 8, 1979–1988.Google Scholar
de Jong, J., de Bruin, G., Reinten, H., van den Berg, M., Wijshoff, H., Versluis, M. & Lohse, D. 2006 Air entrapment in piezo-driven inkjet printheads. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 120, 1257–1265.Google Scholar
de Jong, J., Versluis, M., de Bruin, G., Lohse, D., Reinten, H., van den Berg, M. & de Jong, N. 2005 Acoustical and optical characterization of air entrapment in piezo-driven inkjet printheads. Proc. IEEE-IUS 2, 1270.Google Scholar
Jong, J. D., Jeurissen, R., Borel, H., Berg, M. V. D., Wijshoff, H., Reinten, H. & Lohse, D. 2006 Entrapped air bubbles in piezo-driven inkjet printing: their effect on the droplet velocity. Phys. Fluids 18, 24.Google Scholar
Jungst, T., Smolan, W., Schacht, K., Scheibel, T. & Groll, J. 2016 Strategies and molecular design criteria for 3D printable hydrogels. Chem. Rev. 116, 1496.Google Scholar
Murphy, S. V. & Atala, A. 2014 3D bioprinting of tissues and organs. Nat. Biotechnol. 32, 773.Google Scholar
Olsson, E. & Kreiss, G. 2005 A conservative level set method for two phase flow. J. Comput. Phys. 210, 225–246.Google Scholar
Olsson, E., Kreiss, G. & Zahedi, S. 2007 A conservative level set method for two phase flow II. J. Comput. Phys. 225, 785–807.Google Scholar
Rayleigh, Lord 1878 On the instability of jets. Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. 1, 4–13.Google Scholar
Reis, N. & Derby, B. 2000 Ink jet deposition of ceramic suspensions: modeling and experiments of droplet formation. Mrs Online Proceedings Library Archive 625, 117–122.Google Scholar
Smith, P. J., Shin, D. Y., Stringer, J. E., Derby, B. & Reis, N. 2006 Direct ink-jet printing and low temperature conversion of conductive silver patterns. J. Mater. Sci. 41, 4153–4158.Google Scholar
Vaezi, M., Seitz, H. & Yang, S. 2013 Erratum to: A review on 3D micro-additive manufacturing technologie. Intl J. Adv. Manuf. Technol. 67, 1957–1957.Google Scholar
Wijshoff, H. 2004 Free surface flow and acousto-elastic interaction in piezo inkjet. In Proc. NSTI Nanotechnology Conf. and Trade Show, vol. 2, pp. 215–218.Google Scholar
Wijshoff, H. 2006 Manipulating drop formation in piezo acoustic inkjet. In NIP & Digital Fabrication Conference, vol. 2006, (1), pp. 79–82. Society for Imaging Science and Technology.Google Scholar
Wijshoff, H. H. 2012 Acoustic monitoring. Inkjet-based Micromanuf. 9, 145–158.Google Scholar
Zhang, X. & Basaran, O. A. 1995 An experimental study of dynamics of drop formation. Phys. Fluids 7, 1184–1203.Google Scholar