Numerical analysis of thixotropic fluid in slot coating die manifold
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Slot coating is one of the most used coating methods in the industry. Especially in battery manufacturing, the coating of cathode and anode material called “battery slurry” is being actively researched because of its importance in the industry. However, battery slurry shows complex rheological properties, causing it difficult to represent through the generalized Newtonian models. Among these properties, our emphasis was on thixotropy, a time-dependent shear thinning property which is defined as “the continuous decrease of viscosity with time when the flow is applied to a material that has been previously at quiescent state, and the subsequent recovery of viscosity when flow ceases” [1]. To illustrate the thixotropic behaviour of the slurry, we used a fluidity model [2]. Here, we define fluidity as a reciprocal of viscosity and use this parameter to demonstrate the microstructure. Then, to describe the time-dependent changes in fluidity, an evolution equation was solved together with the conservation equations for mass and momentum using finite element method. Meanwhile, flow passing a slot die experiences both sudden expansion and contraction due to the geometry of the die cavity. Thus, we constructed a converging and diverging 2D channel to see how battery slurry response to the change in length scale. We have compared the two models (the generalized Newtonian and fluidity models) and highlighted the effect of thixotropy in the system. As a starting point, we constructed a 2D system then now working to expand it by 3D system.