Formation of perfluoropolyether coatings by the rapid expansion of supercritical solutions (RESS) process. Part 1: Experimental results

The rapid expansion of supercritical solutions (RESS) process is a promising environmentally benign technology for fine droplet or particle formation. The absence of organic solvents and narrow size distribution of RESS precipitates make this process attractive for polymer coating applications. In our work, this technique has been used to produce droplets of perfluoropolyethers from CO2 solutions without the aid of cosolvents for the coating of porous materials applied in monumental and civil infrastructures. The present work is aimed at gaining an understanding of the relationship between droplet and spray characteristics and RESS process conditions. As such, a combined experimental/computational approach is applied to a representative binary system consisting of a low-molecular-weight perfluoropolyether diamide (PFD) dissolved in supercritical CO2. Part 1 of this work presents phase equilibria measurements and polymer droplet size characterizations under different operating conditions. The effects of temperature, solute concentration, and nozzle configuration on droplet and spray characterization and transfer efficiency are discussed. Part 2 of this work presents a multidimensional computational fluid dynamics model of the RESS expansion process and describes the use of the model in further analyzing and interpreting experimental data.