A Critical Review of Drying Models for Coated Paper

Drying of coated paper is a complex process that includes the three mechanisms of heat transfer (conduction, convection, and radiation) coupled with water (liquid, vapor and bound), air, and binder mass transfer. Limited work has been conducted so far to mathematically simulate this drying process. This paper critically reviews the major relevant theoretical models and discusses each model’s strengths and shortcomings. The critical review reveals that there is a need for a better and more complete model to capture all the physics of the process of drying of coated paper. Furthermore, the theoretical results (e.g. drying rates, heat and mass transfer fluxes, temperature and species’ concentration profiles) should be directly verified against laboratory and machine data under various operating conditions.