Researchers at MIT Confirm Underlying Concept
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) demonstrated some of the effects of viscoelasticity on droplets in sprayed fluids: confirming a discovery that spring-boarded development of HMWPIB technology over 20 years ago.
“Ultimately, this new understanding of fluid fragmentation may be useful in a number of areas including combustion, pharmaceutical and agricultural sprays, inkjets, and the automotive coating industry, where manufacturers are looking for ways to prevent “over-spray” and increase the efficiency of spray-painting.”
The central positive finding of the research was recognition that viscoelasticity made it possible to predict parameters of droplet size and distribution. Droplets ranged in size from large to small to small with non-homogeneous distribution.
In contrast, HMWPIB makes it possible to control droplet size and distribution. Neither large droplets nor superfine satellite droplets are formed. Distribution of droplets is uniform across the spray field and volumetrically constrained.
Several factors contribute to these functionally key differences. HMWPIB formulation and physical preparation and its efficacy at infinitesimally low concentrations ( e.g. 5 parts/billion).
Several of the applications foreseen by MIT researchers have been implemented and tested using the HMWPIB technology, including, in addition to combustion, agricultural sprays, coatings, and paint. Many other applications have also been developed: oil spill cleanup, non-misting aircraft fuel, tire manufacturing, and others.