Method of drying substrates and use thereof
AssigneeOptimum Air Corporation
InventorsFred G. Scheufler, William H. Bayard
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Abstract
A method is provided for washing, drying, applying a curable coating, and effecting the cure of such coating on a variety of substrates, such as metal, for example steel, plastic and wood. A particularly effective drying procedure based on the generation of a dehumidified and filtered air stream directed substantially parallel to the wet substrate allows for a significant decrease in drying time while maintaining coating effectiveness.
Claims13
A method for effecting water removal from an exposed wet surface of a substrate selected from the group consisting of metal, plastic, and wood, the method comprising the steps of:
- washing the substrate;
- placing the substrate in a drying booth in a batchwise or continuous manner;
- drying the substrate by continuously generating and circulating within the drying booth, a dehumidified and filtered air stream, wherein the air stream is directed in a substantially parallel manner at a rate of at least 50 ft per minute across the substrate surface in the drying booth and has an RH value of at least about 9% at a temperature up to 105° F.;
- and
- providing at least one humidity sensing device within the drying booth to monitor an RH value of the air stream and disable the circulation of the air stream within the drying booth when the RH value of the air stream reaches a predetermined value.
A method for removing moisture from an exposed wet surface of a substrate, the method comprising the following steps:
- wetting the substrate;
- placing the substrate in a drying booth in a batchwise or continuous manner;
- drying the substrate by continuously generating and circulating within the drying booth, a dehumidified and filtered air stream having a temperature up to about 105° F.;
- selecting and maintaining an RH value of the air stream of at least about 9% using a device within the drying booth;
- diverting the circulation of the air stream from the drying booth when the RH value of the air stream reaches a predetermined value;
- and
- coating the substrate approximately less than ten minutes after the drying step.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.