Finite element analysis of polymeric membrane and coating formation by solvent evaporation

The solvent evaporation process from acetone-cellulose acetate solutions is studied as a numerical experiment. The process is modeled as a coupled heat and mass transfer problem with a moving boundary. The resulting non-linear system of governing equations is solved with the Galerkin finite element method. A parametric analysis is carried out and it is discussed in detail how the process conditions affect the evaporation rate, the temperature at the surface of the solution and the resulting morphology of the final product. This analysis may be applied in the modeling of polymeric membrane formation and in the drying of coatings.