On the influence of the surfactant''s polar group on the local and terminal velocities of bubbles

The local and the terminal velocities, the size and the degree of bubbles’ shape deformations were determined as a function of distance from the position of the bubble formation (capillary orifice) in solutions of n-octyltrimethylammonium bromide, n-octyldimethylphosphine oxide, n-octyl-β-D-glucopyranoside and n-octanoic acid.

These surface-active compounds have different polar groups but an identical hydrocarbon chain (C8) in the molecule. The motion of the bubbles was monitored and recorded using a stroboscopic illumination, a CCD camera, and a JVC professional video. The recorded bubble images were analyzed by the image analysis software. The bubbles accelerated rapidly and their shape was deformed immediately after detachment from the capillary. The extent of the bubbles’ shape deformation (ratio of horizontal and vertical diameters) was 1.5 in distilled water and dropped rapidly down to a level of ca. 1.05–1.03 with increasing surfactant concentration. After the acceleration period the bubbles either attained a constant value of the terminal velocity (distilled water and high concentrations of the solutions), or a maximum in the velocity profiles was observed (low concentrations). The values of the terminal velocity diminished drastically with increasing concentration, from the value of 35 cm/s in water down to about 15 cm/s, while the bubble diameter decreased by ca. 10% only. The surfactant adsorption at the surface of the bubbles was evaluated and the minimum adsorption coverages required to immobilize the bubbles’ surface were determined. It was found that this minimum adsorption coverage was ca. 4% for n-octyldimethylphosphine oxide, n-octyl-β-D-glucopyranoside, n-octanoic acid and 25% for n-octyltrimethylammonium bromide. The difference in the adsorption coverage together with the surfactants’ surface activities indicate that it is mainly the adsorption kinetics of the surfactants that governs the fluidity of interfaces of the rising bubbles.     

Bubble point pressure estimates from Gibbs ensemble simulations

Bubble pressure points of ethanol–1,1,1,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropane (HFC-227ea refrigerant) mixtures from the third Industrial Fluid Properties Simulation Challenge are computed using publicly available molecular simulation software. Several published force fields are compared against the known answers provided in the contest guidelines and the best force fields are used to make predictions for the unknown results.     

CLIMATIC CHANGE SINCE LITTLE ICE AGE RECORDED BY DUNDE ICE CAP

The climatic change since the Little Ice Age recorded in the Dunde Ice Cap is presentedin this paper. There have been three cold periods and three warm periods since 1400AD.Among them, the coldest one was in the 17th century. Many evidences verified the three coldand warm variations recorded in the Dundc Ice Cap. But it was found from the comparison between the Dunde Icc Cap climatic record and thewinter temperature record in Shanghai that there was a temporal dfference in climatic changebetween East China and West China. The general trend is that the cooling and warmingprocesses in West China were earlier than that in East China. In the Dunde Ice Cap, it isnow in an anomalous warm period, while it is not as warm as in Dunde Ice Cap recordaccording to the winter temperature in Shanghai. In addition to the possible cause of temporaldifference in climatic change between West China and East China, another possible cause isthat the greenhouse effect of CO_2 may already be recognizable in the Dunde Ice Cap a     

Mechanism of lamellar spacing adjustment in directionally frozen agar gels

A theory is presented for predicting the size of ice crystals which result from steady-state, unidirectional growth within aqueous agar gels. Cellular arrays of adjacent ice crystals were separated by an amorphous water-agar membrane at a composition near the vitrification point. Using this vitrification composition and both a steady-state condition and a minimum free energy criterion, the size of ice crystals was predicted for a given solidification velocity and diffusion condition. It was found, however, that this simple model could not predict the trend towards larger crystal sizes that was observed when the initial agar concentration in the gels increased from 3% to 10% by weight agar.     

DSC study and computer modelling of the melting process in ice slurry

In order to understand the non-isothermal melting kinetics in the ice slurry, a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used. Experimental results were compared to those obtained by a numerical simulation in which a general enthalpy method was applied. In this work the ice slurry studied consists of ice particles uniformly dispersed within a water-antifreeze liquid mixture. The effects of the heating rate and the initial antifreeze mass fraction are discussed. It has been found that the temperature gradients inside the sample of the solution become important if either heating rate increases or initial antifreeze mass fraction decreases.     

(Vapor + liquid) equilibria of the binary mixtures of m-cresol with C1-C4 aliphatic alcohols at 95.5 kPa

Bubble point temperatures at 95.5 kPa, over the entire composition range, are measured for the binary mixtures formed by m-cresol with: methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, and n-, iso-, sec-, and tert-butanols - using a Swietoslawski-type ebulliometer. The liquid phase composition - bubble point temperature measurements are well represented by the Wilson model. (Vapor + liquid) equilibria predicted from the model are presented.     

Pore size distributions in microporous membranes. A critical analysis of the bubble point extended method

An extended bubble point method has been used to examine the porous morphology of several track-etched microporous polycarbonate membranes with nominal pore sizes ranging from 0.1 to 5.0 μm. The technique has been carefully analyzed and corrected to take into account the diverse non-ideal factors in flow along with the prevalence of Knudsen flow over the Hagen-Poiseuille one in the smaller pores.     

Forces between a hard surface and an air–aqueous interface with and without films

The adsorption of particles to air–aqueous interfaces is vital in many applications, such as mineral flotation and the stabilization of food foams. The forces in the system determine whether a particle will attach to an air–aqueous interface. The forces between a particle and an air–aqueous interface are influenced by Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek forces (i.e. van der Waals and electrostatic forces), non–Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek forces (e.g. hydrophobic, hydrodynamic, structural, and capillary forces), liquid drainage, and liquid flow. As an air–aqueous interface can be deformed by a particle, the forces measured between an air–aqueous interface and a particle can differ from those measured between two hard surfaces separated by liquid. The presence of a film at an air–aqueous interface can also change the forces.