Continuous ink supply and circulation system for multi-nozzle electrospray


 The electrospray deposition method has been used in many applications, such as mass spectroscopy, thin film deposition, bio-application, painting and coating. However, low flow rates must be used for electrospray to maintain a stable cone jet mode, while most applications require high throughput. To overcome the slow deposition rate, the use of multi-nozzle electrospray should be considered. In a typical multi-nozzle electrospray system, ink in a syringe barrel is fed to the nozzles by a syringe pump or pressure regulator. However, if the ink in the syringe barrel is depleted, the entire process should be stopped to refill the ink. In this study, we propose a new head design and an ink supply system for a multi-nozzle electrospray system so that ink can be continuously supplied to the nozzles without ink being depleted during the electrospray process. The proposed system is based on circulation through multi-nozzle electrospray head so that unexpected air bubbles in the head can be easily removed.