Effect of surfactant redistribution on the flow and stability of foam films

The viscous froth model for two-dimensional (2D) dissipative foam rheology is combined with Marangoni-driven surfactant redistribution on a foam film. The model is used to study the flow of a 2D foam system consisting of one bubble partially filling a constricted channel and a single spanning film connecting it to the opposite channel wall. Gradients of surface tension arising from film deformation induce tangential flow that redistributes surfactant along the film. This redistribution, and the consequent changes in film tension, inhibit the structure from undergoing a foam-destroying topological change in which the spanning film leaves the bubble behind; foam stability is thereby increased. The system’s behaviour is categorized by a Gibbs–Marangoni parameter, representing the ratio between the rate of motion in tangential and normal directions. Larger values of the Gibbs–Marangoni parameter induce greater variation in surface tension, increase the rate of surfactant redistribution and reduce the likelihood of topological changes. An intermediate regime is, however, identified in which the Gibbs–Marangoni parameter is large enough to create a significant gradient of surface tension but is not great enough to smooth out the flow-induced redistribution of surfactant entirely, resulting in non-monotonic variation in the bubble height, and hence in foam stability.

Film tension of liquid nano-film from molecular modeling

Due to its geometry simplicity, the forces of thin liquid film are widely investigated and equivalently employed to explore the phys–chemical properties and mechanical stability of many other surfaces or colloid ensembles. The surface tension of bulk liquid ([Formula: see text]) and film tension ([Formula: see text]) are the most important parameters. Considering the insufficiency of detailed interpretation of film tension under micro-scale circumstances, a method for film tension was proposed based on numerical modeling. Assuming surface tension at different slab thicknesses being identical to the surface tension of film, the surface tension and disjoining pressure were subsequently used to evaluate the film tension based on the derivation of film thermodynamics, and a decreasing tendency was discovered for low temperature regions. The influence of saline concentration on nano-films was also investigated, and the comparison of film tensions suggested that higher concentration yielded larger film tension, with stronger decreasing intensity as a function of film thickness. Meanwhile, at thick film range (15–20 nm), film tension of higher concentration film continued to decrease as thickness increase, however it arrived to constant value for that of lower concentration. Finally, it was found that the film tension was almost independent on the film curvature, but varied with the thickness. The approach is applicable to symmetric emulsion films containing surfactants and bi-layer lipid films.

An In Situ Raman Spectroscopy Study of Load Transfer for Carbon Nanotube Film

The load transfer of CNT films under tensile loading at different scales was studied by using in situ Raman spectroscopy. The single-point and plane mapping Raman spectrum data was collected during the film tension to monitor the load transfer process of CNTs and CNT bundle network, respectively. The reason why the CNT film had well strength and ductility and low Young's modulus was revealed.

Diffusion of curvature on a sheared semi-infinite film

The viscous froth model is used to study the evolution of a long and initially straight soap film which is sheared by moving its endpoint at a constant velocity in a direction perpendicular to the initial film orientation. Film elements are thereby set into motion as a result of the shear, and the film curves. The simple scenario described here enables an analysis of the transport of curvature along the film, which is important in foam rheology, in particular for energy-relaxing ‘topological transformations’. Curvature is shown to be transported diffusively along films, with an effective diffusivity scaling as the ratio of film tension to the viscous froth drag coefficient. Computed (finite-length) film shapes at different times are found to approximate well to the semi-infinite film and are observed to collapse with distances rescaled by the square root of time. The tangent to the film at the endpoint reorients so as to make a very small angle with the line along which the film endpoint is dragged, and this angle decays roughly exponentially in time. The computed results are described in terms of a simple asymptotic solution corresponding to an infinite film that initially contains a right-angled corner.