Multiscale Modeling Approach of Slot Die Coating of Unidirectional Glass Fiber Fabric
| Authors: | Kim Anh Pham, Robert J. Moon, Kyriaki Kalaitzidou, Apoorva R. Mundhe, Tequila A. L. Harris |
| Year: | 2026 |
| Type: | Scientific Journal |
| Station: | Forest Products Laboratory |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1002/app.71412 |
| Source: | Journal of Applied Polymer Science |
Abstract
Slot die coating with vacuum‐assist has been developed as a novel and scalable methodology for coating glass fiber fabrics as a pre‐step to composite fabrication. In particular, the slot die coating of cellulose nanocrystal suspension, a material which has been recognized as an emerging renewable material for fiber sizing, is subject to further exploration due to the limited scalability studies. In this paper, a multiscale computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model is developed, representing and combining separate 2D models of macroscale coating flow on top of the fabrics as well as microscale porous flow within to establish a better understanding of the flow dynamics and the effect of processing conditions which control the final coating morphology outcomes. The model simulates the effect of vacuum assist on the coating process and successfully predicts stable operating parameters matching the ones established in prior experimental trials.