Foam stabilization in salt solutions : the role of capillary drainage and Marangoni stresses

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Sharma, Ekta, Borkar, Suraj, Baumli, Philipp, Shi, Xinfeng, Wu, James Y., Myung, David, Fuller, Gerald G.
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2025
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author Sharma, Ekta
Borkar, Suraj
Baumli, Philipp
Shi, Xinfeng
Wu, James Y.
Myung, David
Fuller, Gerald G.
author_facet Sharma, Ekta
Borkar, Suraj
Baumli, Philipp
Shi, Xinfeng
Wu, James Y.
Myung, David
Fuller, Gerald G.
contents The long-standing question of why foaming is easier in seawater than in freshwater remains unresolved. In this study, we address this issue through precise interferometry single bubble experiments, demonstrating that the theory proposed by G. Marrucci (1969) provides a compelling explanation. Electrolyte solutions with varying concentrations of phosphate salts were used to study film formation and drainage, with thickness tracked by interferometry. In deionized water, bubbles rupture within seconds due to repaid dimple collapse. However, in phosphate salt solutions, bubbles persisted for several minutes. While surface tension gradients from evaporation-driven salt concentration gradients have been thought to create Marangoni stresses, our results show that despite film thinning being capillary-dominated, Marangoni-driven influx can be observed. Marrucci's theory explains this by showing that an increased interfacial area as the film thins, leads to higher salt concentration in the film due to Gibbs surface excess. This concentration gradient induces Marangoni stresses, causing flow reversal, increased film thickness, and enhanced foam stability. We show that Marrucci's theory has been incorrectly dismissed, and the predicted critical heights where fluid influx occurs closely match our findings and other studies using sodium chloride. Additionally, we extend the theory's applicability to foam films in non-aqueous film mixtures, highlighting its broader relevance.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2501_02633
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Foam stabilization in salt solutions : the role of capillary drainage and Marangoni stresses
Sharma, Ekta
Borkar, Suraj
Baumli, Philipp
Shi, Xinfeng
Wu, James Y.
Myung, David
Fuller, Gerald G.
Fluid Dynamics
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Chemical Physics
Optics
The long-standing question of why foaming is easier in seawater than in freshwater remains unresolved. In this study, we address this issue through precise interferometry single bubble experiments, demonstrating that the theory proposed by G. Marrucci (1969) provides a compelling explanation. Electrolyte solutions with varying concentrations of phosphate salts were used to study film formation and drainage, with thickness tracked by interferometry. In deionized water, bubbles rupture within seconds due to repaid dimple collapse. However, in phosphate salt solutions, bubbles persisted for several minutes. While surface tension gradients from evaporation-driven salt concentration gradients have been thought to create Marangoni stresses, our results show that despite film thinning being capillary-dominated, Marangoni-driven influx can be observed. Marrucci's theory explains this by showing that an increased interfacial area as the film thins, leads to higher salt concentration in the film due to Gibbs surface excess. This concentration gradient induces Marangoni stresses, causing flow reversal, increased film thickness, and enhanced foam stability. We show that Marrucci's theory has been incorrectly dismissed, and the predicted critical heights where fluid influx occurs closely match our findings and other studies using sodium chloride. Additionally, we extend the theory's applicability to foam films in non-aqueous film mixtures, highlighting its broader relevance.
title Foam stabilization in salt solutions : the role of capillary drainage and Marangoni stresses
topic Fluid Dynamics
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Chemical Physics
Optics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.02633