Surfactant accumulation within the top foam layer due to rupture of external foam films

The analysis of processes taking place in a steady pneumatic (dynamic) foam shows the possibility of different modes of surfactant accumulation within the top layers of bubbles due to rupture of external foam films. An increasing surfactant concentration within the top layers promotes the stabilisation of bubbles and the foam as a whole. Considering the balance of surfactant and water during the bursting of films it is possible to estimate the accumulated surfactant loss caused by a downwards flow through the Plateau borders of the subsurface bubble layer. This effect depends on the particular conditions, especially on the surfactant activity and concentration of the surfactant, water volume fraction in the foam and size of foam bubbles. The process of surfactant accumulation in the top foam bubble layer can be complicated due to the removal of part of the accumulated surfactant through transport with droplets spread out during bubble bursting.     

FEM simulation of polymeric foam with random pore structure: Uniaxial compression with loading rate effect

This study establishes FEM modeling for compressive deformation behavior of polymeric foams with different loading rates. The polymeric foam used in this study was made from polypropylene (the base matrix of the polymer) with porosity of about 95%. The pore size and shape were randomly distributed in the foam. The X-ray CT method was first conducted to observe the microstructure, the geometric feature of which was reproduced in the FEM model. Uniaxial compression tests with different loading speeds were carried out to investigate an effect of loading rate (strain rate) dependency on the deformation behavior. By using the X-ray CT method, in situ observation of microscopic deformation was carried out. Furthermore, FEM computations were carried out to simulate macroscopic and microscopic deformation behaviors. The random porous structure was modeled using Surface Evolver. The elastoplastic property with strain rate dependency was used in this model. The established FEM framework may be useful for a porous polymer with a random pore structure and for deformation modeling with strain rate effect.     

Real‐Time Observation of Liposome Bursting Induced by Acetonitrile

We show the bursting process of dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) liposomes in response to the addition of acetonitrile, a small toxic molecule widely used in the fields of chemistry and industry. The percentage of destroyed liposomes is reduced upon decreasing the acetonitrile fraction in the aqueous solution and vesicle bursting is not observed at volume ratios of 4:6 and below. This indicates that a high fraction of acetonitrile causes the bursting of liposomes, and it is proposed that this occurs through insertion of the molecules into outer leaflet of the lipid bilayer. The elapsed time between initial addition of acetonitrile and liposome bursting at each vesicle is also measured and demonstrated to be dependent on the volume fraction of acetonitrile and the vesicle size.     

Foams and surface rheological properties of β-casein, gliadin and glycinin

Interfacial rheological properties and their suitability for foam production and stability of two vegetable proteins were studied and compared to β-casein. Proteins used ranged from flexible to rigid/globular in the order of β-casein, gliadin and soy glycinin. Experiments were performed at pH 6.7. Network forming properties were characterised by the surface dilational modulus (determined with the ring trough) and the critical falling film length (L_still) at which a stagnant protein film will break. Gliadin had the highest dilational modulus, followed by glycinin and β-casein, whereas glycinin formed the strongest film against fracture in the overflowing cylinder. The rate of decrease in the surface tension was studied at the air–water (Wilhelmy plate method) and the oil–water interface (bursting membrane) and the dynamic surface tension during compression and expansion in the caterpillar. Gliadin had the lowest equilibrium interfacial tensions and β-casein the lowest dynamic surface tension during expansion. Hardly any foam could be formed at a concentration of 0.1 g/l by shaking. At a concentration of 1.4 g/l most foam was formed by β-casein, followed by gliadin and glycinin. It seems that in the first place the rate of adsorption is important for foam formation. For the vegetable proteins, adsorption was slow. This resulted in lower foamability, especially for glycinin.     

Effect of lidocaine on ovalbumin and egg albumin foam stability

Foam fractionation is a simple separation process that can remove and concentrate hydrophobic molecules such as proteins, surfactants, and organic wastes from an aqueous solution. Bovine serum albumin and ovalbumin have been widely used as model proteins due to their strong foaming potential and low price. Here, we study the effect of lidocaine on albumin foam, since drugs like lidocaine are known to bind with albumin. We observed that lidocaine not only enhances the amount of foam produced but also the stability of that foam as well. The foam stability was evaluated as the decay rate constant of the foam, determined from a change in height (or volume) of the foam over a given time period.     

Experimental Validation of the Temperature-Resistant and Salt-Tolerant Xanthan Enhanced Foam for Enhancing Oil Recovery

Xanthan enhanced foam (XGF) is a newly developed chemical agent for enhanced oil recovery in high-temperature and high-salinity reservoirs. In this paper, laboratory experiments were performed to characterize the morphology and foam properties of XGF, to study its performance under different temperature and different salinity conditions, respectively. Based on simulate reservoir formation conditions of Xidaliya field, a series of research on XGF were conducted. The experimental results showed that the scanning electron microscopy of XGF reflected a more viscoelastic and stable nature of the foam system. High temperature had a great adverse impact upon the stability of XGF, and the increase of salinity in the solution helped to improve the stability of foam. The foam stability increased remarkably when XG4 is added, and an increase in ambient pressure made enhancement of foam stability became more noticeable. In the presence of crude oil, Xanthan could enhance the stability of emulsions and was more favorable to stabilize foam. XG4 enhanced foam had dramatic properties for mobility controlling and oil displacement in the porous media.     

GC-MS Analysis of Organic Vapours Emitted from Polyurethane Foam Insulation

Abstract

The vapours emitted by rigid polyurethane foam at 40° and 80° in dry and in humid (90% RH) air were trapped with a Tenax TA sampling tube and, after thermal desorption, analyzed by high resolution gas chromatography – mass spectrometry. The chromatograms obtained demonstrate a certain characteristic pattern. The qualitative composition of the effluent mixture is basically independent of both temperature and humidity of the foam. Over seventy compounds were identified as polyurethane foam off-gases. Among them the most numerous are hydrocarbons. The most abundant is the blowing agent, trichlorofluoromethane. The most interesting are cyclic acetals, aldehydes, cyclic ethers, alcohols, chloroform and chlorobenzene. The headspace concentration of the majority of them is below 10mg/m³, there are, however, several compounds with the concentration exceeding 100mg/m³.     

Two-mode dynamics in dispersed systems: the case of particle-stabilized foams studied by diffusing wave spectroscopy

The stabilization of aqueous foams solely by solid particles is an active field of research. Thanks to controlled particle chemistry and production devices, we are able to generate large volumes of such foams. We previously investigated some of their unique properties, especially the strongly reduced coarsening. Here we report another type of study on these foams: performing diffusing wave spectroscopy (DWS), we investigate for the first time the internal dynamics on the scales of both the particles and the bubbles. When compared to surfactant foams, unusual features are observed; in particular, two well-separated modes are found in the dynamics, both evolving with foam aging. We propose an interpretation of these specificities, taking into account both the scattering by free particles in the foam fluid (fast mode), and by the foam structure (slow mode). To validate our interpretation, we show that independent measurements of the interstitial fluid scattering length, obtained indirectly on the foam and directly on the drained liquid, are in good agreement. We have also identified the experimental conditions required to observe such two-process dynamics. Counter-intuitively, the fraction of free particles within the foam interstitial fluid has to be very low to get an optimal signature of these particles on the DWS correlation curves. This study also sheds light on the partitioning of the particles inside the foams and at the interfaces, as the foam ages. Lastly, the results shown here (obtained by analyzing the fluctuations of the transmitted light) implement the previous ones (obtained by analyzing the mean transmitted intensity), and prove that the foam structure is actually not fully frozen.     

Macroporous Morphology of the Titania Films Prepared by a Sol-Gel Dip-Coating Method from the System Containing Poly(Ethylene Glycol). II. Effect of Solution Composition

The influences of water and alkoxide concentrations, as well as the relative humidity upon the macroporous morphology of the titania (TiO2) films have been studied for a sol-gel dip-coating system containing poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). The distribution of resultant morphology against the withdrawal speed and relative humidity is varied significantly by mainly modifying the polycondensation and phase separation processes during the dipping operation, even by the small change in starting composition of the dipping solution.     

Ultrasensitive Organic Humidity Sensor with High Specificity for Healthcare Applications

Humidity sensors have gained immense importance as non‐invasive, wearable healthcare devices for personal care as well as disease diagnostics. However, non‐specificity, poor stability at extreme conditions, and low sensitivity of the humidity sensor inhibit its usage as a health monitoring device. In the present study, N?F containing organic molecule, Selectfluor^TM (F‐TEDA) based humidity sensors with ～1–2 mm long needle‐shaped crystals is fabricated on interdigitated electrodes resulting in excellent performance. The unidirectional growth of crystals led to the formation of a conduction pathway for water molecules across the crystal, which otherwise are non‐conducting. The as‐fabricated humidity sensor at an operational voltage of 0.8 V displays a sensitivity of six orders in magnitude, best reported so far. The sensor does not exhibit any response upon exposure to various volatile organic compounds and reactive gases, indicating remarkable specificity. The sensor is tolerant to high moisture of 95 % for prolonged hours followed by monitoring over several days and degrades to 50 % of its original sensitivity only after continuous exposure for several days. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) shows reversal from resistive to capacitive behavior with increasing humidity levels. The fabricated humidity sensor acts as a healthcare device for breath rate monitoring and touch‐free examination of skin moisture.     

Gate‐Induced Modification of Water Adsorption on Dielectrics Probed by EFM and Carbon Nanotube FETs

Humidity plays an important role in molecular electronics. It facilitates charge movement on top of dielectric layers and modifies the device transfer characteristics. Using two different methods to probe temporal charge redistribution on the surface of dielectrics, we were able to extract the surface humidity for the first time. The first method is based on the relaxation time constants of the current through carbon nanotube field‐effect transistors (CNTFETs), and the second is based on electric force microscopy (EFM) measurements. Moreover, we found that applying external gate biases modifies the surface humidity. A theoretical model based on dielectrophoretic attraction between the water molecules and the substrate is introduced to explain this observation, and the results support our hypothesis. Furthermore, it is found that upon the adsorption of two to three layers of water the surface conductivity saturates.     

Mathematical Model of Foam Flowing Characteristics by Snap-Off Mechanisms at Steady State in Porous Media

Flow characteristics and regeneration processes of foams were influenced by lamella properties and pore-throat structure in porous media. In this article, porous media was simplified as a bunch of constricted capillary tubes according to grain size, pore-throat radius, and immobile water saturation in porous media. Based on an analysis of forces upon liquid lamella, a mathematical model of foam migration and regeneration at steady state was established according to the mass conservation law and the momentum conservation law in porous media. The model could be used to calculate some important parameters in porous media, such as pressure distribution, shearing stress, lamella morphology, liquid-layer thickness, regeneration bubble size, etc. A series of flow experiments were carried out to investigate the influence of liquid properties and pore-throat structure on flow characteristics and resistance behavior of foams in porous media. The experimental results showed that pressure distribution monotonously decreased along porous media. The theoretical results were in good agreement with the experimental results. Foam structure, that is, foam quality was an important factor upon foam resistance behavior in porous media. The strongest resistance ability of foams was achieved at foam quality of 85% in porous media.      

Phenylated polyquinoxalines from bis(phenylglyoxaloyl)benzene

Phenyl-substituted polyquinoxalines of unusually high oxidative-thermal stability were prepared by one-step solution condensations of aromatic tetraamines with 1,4-bis-(phenylglyoxaloyl)benzene and 1,3-bis(phenylglyoxaloyl)benzene. The final polymers thus obtained show exceptionally good solubility in a variety of common organic solvents, such as chloroform, tetrachloroethane, dichlorobenzenes, and certain phenols. Polymerizations in these solvents lead to polyquinoxalines of high molecular weight at reaction rates which depend upon the solvent used. The phenylated polyquinoxalines exhibited glass transition temperatures between 253 and 317°C and polymer decomposition temperatures between 515 and 540°C, depending upon structure. Isothermal decomposition at 400°C in air showed a strong dependency of weight loss on structure. Tough, flexible films were cast from solutions.     

Is latex surface charge an important parameter for foam stabilization?

We describe the facile production of highly stable foams stabilized solely by cationic polystyrene latex particles. Three model polystyrene latexes were synthesized using either a cationic 2,2'-azobis(2-diisobutyramidine) dihydrochloride (AIBA) or an anionic ammonium persulfate (APS) radical initiator: a 724 +/- 81 nm charge-stabilized cationic polystyrene latex [AIBA-PS], an 800 +/- 138 nm sterically stabilized cationic latex prepared using a poly(ethylene glycol) monomethacrylate macromonomer [PEGMA-AIBA-PS], and a 904 +/- 131 nm charge-stabilized anionic polystyrene latex [APS-PS], respectively. The effect of particle surface charge, latex concentration, and solution pH on foam stability was studied in detail. The PEGMA-AIBA-PS latex proved to be the best foam stabilizer even at relatively low latex concentrations (3.0 wt %), with long-term foam stabilities being obtained after drying. The AIBA-PS latex also produced stable foams, albeit only at higher latex concentrations. However, the APS-PS latex proved to be an ineffective foam stabilizer. This is believed to be primarily due to the anionic surface character of this latter latex, which prevents its adsorption at the anionic air-water interface. This hypothesis is supported by the observation that the AIBA-PS latex no longer acts as an effective foam stabilizer above its isoelectric point (pH 7.04). Scanning electron microscopy studies revealed the formation of well-defined latex bilayers within dried foams, which indicates that the wet air bubbles are stabilized by latex monolayers prior to drying. However, little or no long-range ordering of the latex particles was observed on the surface of the bubbles, which is presumably related to the latex polydispersity.     

The effect of humidity on the ozonolysis of unsaturated compounds in aerosol particles

Atmospheric aerosol particles are important in many atmospheric processes such as: light scattering, light absorption, and cloud formation. Oxidation reactions continuously change the chemical composition of aerosol particles, especially the organic mass component, which is often the dominant fraction. These ageing processes are poorly understood but are known to significantly affect the cloud formation potential of aerosol particles. In this study we investigate the effect of humidity and ozone on the chemical composition of two model organic aerosol systems: oleic acid and arachidonic acid. These two acids are also compared to maleic acid an aerosol system we have previously studied using the same techniques. The role of relative humidity in the oxidation scheme of the three carboxylic acids is very compound specific. Relative humidity was observed to have a major influence on the oxidation scheme of maleic acid and arachidonic acid, whereas no dependence was observed for the oxidation of oleic acid. In both, maleic acid and arachidonic acid, an evaporation of volatile oxidation products could only be observed when the particle was exposed to high relative humidities. The particle phase has a strong effect on the particle processing and the effect of water on the oxidation processes. Oleic acid is liquid under all conditions at room temperature (dry or elevated humidity, pure or oxidized particle). Thus ozone can easily diffuse into the bulk of the particle irrespective of the oxidation conditions. In addition, water does not influence the oxidation reactions of oleic acid particles, which is partly explained by the structure of oxidation intermediates. The low water solubility of oleic acid and its ozonolysis products limits the effect of water. This is very different for maleic and arachidonic acid, which change their phase from liquid to solid upon oxidation or upon changes in humidity. In a solid particle the reactions of ozone and water with the organic particle are restricted to the particle surface and hence different regimes of reactivity are dictated by particle phase. The potential relevance of these three model systems to mimic ambient atmospheric processes is discussed.     

Phase diagrams and microstructure of aggregates in mixed ionic surfactant/foam booster systems

The phase behavior and microstructure of surfactant systems containing a new alkanolamide-type foam booster, dodecanoyl N-methyl ethanolamide (NMEA-12), were investigated by means of phase study and small angle X-ray scattering. Different from other similar alkanolamides, NMEA-12 possesses a low melting point and forms a lyotropic liquid-crystalline phase (L(alpha) phase) at room temperature. This is attributed to the attached methyl group, which increases the fluidity of the molecule. In the SDS/NMEA-12/water system, hexagonal and lamellar (L(alpha)) liquid-crystalline phases are obtained at significantly low surfactant concentrations. The stability of these phases decreases when SDS is replaced with a nonionic surfactant (C12EO8). However, for both ionic and nonionic surfactants, the effective area per surfactant molecule at the interface shrinks upon addition of NMEA-12, indicating that the surfactant layer is getting more compact. The possible implications of these results on the potential applications of NMEA-12 as foam stabilizer are discussed.     

Drainage of aqueous film-forming foam stabilized by different foam stabilizers

The present study focuses on the drainage property of aqueous film-forming foam stabilized by different types and concentrations of foam stabilizers. Aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) formulation concentrates are prepared based on the main components of fluorocarbon surfactant, hydrocarbon surfactant, and organic solvents. Carboxymethylcellulose sodium (CS), xanthan gum (XG), and lauryl alcohol (LA) are selected as foam stabilizers of the AFFF. Surface tension, viscosity, and foamability tests of the AFFF solutions are conducted to evaluate the effect of foam stabilizers on the properties of AFFF solutions. Particularly, an apparatus is established based on the law of connected vessel in order to obtain the instantaneous mass of liquids drained from foams. The drainage features of the AFFFs containing different foam stabilizers are analyzed and compared with each other. The results indicate that AFFF drainage is significantly affected by the type and the concentration of foam stabilizers. The addition of CS and XG to AFFF results in a deceleration of foam drainage, while foam drainage is accelerated by the addition of LA. The variations of surface tension, viscosity, and liquid fraction of foams are the main reasons for the varying foam drainage rate. This study provides a direct connection between chemical components and fundamental properties of AFFF.     

Foaming ability and stability of silica nanoparticle-based triple-phase foam for oil fire extinguishing: experimental

The triple-phase foam has been widely used in oil fire extinguishing, and its two key parameters for application are the foaming ability and stability. We present a comprehensive study on the foam expansion ratio (FER) and drainage time, where factors such as the foam morphology, zeta potential of particles, foam mixing homogeneity, surfactant concentration, particle mass percentage, and specific surface area of the particle are investigated in detail. The dependence relationship curves of FER and drainage time with respect to the latter four variables are given through experiments, and optimal parameter values are selected. Moreover, the scaling laws correlating these variables are in agreement with the experimental results, and some necessary parameters are obtained by data fitting. These analyses are beneficial to better understand the foaming ability and stability mechanism of the triple-phase foam and to prepare materials of high performances for oil fire extinguishing.     

Spherical foam growth in Al alloy melt

The ultra light metal structure, realizing the light-ness and multifunction of structural material, has a bright future in high-tech and civil fields and is be-coming one of the hotspots in developed countries in 21 century[1―8]. Preparing Al foam by mel…     

Foaming Properties of CO2-Triggered Surfactants for Switchable Foam Control

Switchable surfactants, particularly those triggered by CO₂ used for switchable foam control, are relatively less documented. In this article, the foaming performance of 2-alkyl-1-hydroxyethylimidazolinium bicarbonate cationic surfactants (HEAIBs) was investigated for the first time. The foaming properties of these surfactants demonstrate that HEAIBs can generate foam with moderate stability, on demand, can be rapidly yet reversibly dissipated upon exposure to air. The results illustrated such a facile trigger, and the foam on/off transition would have huge potential to form a new class of stimuli-response foaming agents.