title: Auto-stratification in drying colloidal dispersions: a diffusive model.
abstract: The mechanism by which the particles in a drying film come into close packing during solvent evaporation has an important role to play in the final film morphology. During drying the particles can develop non-uniform concentrations across the vertical height of the film, depending on their diffusion rate. By applying the principles of classical diffusion mechanics to a hard sphere system, a theory for this novel method of stratification during drying of a two component film has been derived. The model is dependent on the particle Peclet numbers and when one is above unity and the other below, maximum stratification is observed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3RA, UK.
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Trueman
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lago Domingues
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Emmett
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Routh