Binary coalescence of gas bubbles in the presence of a non-ionic surfactant

Abstract

The coalescence behavior of air bubbles in a dilute aqueous surfactant solution of a polyglycerol fatty acid ester (PGE), a commercial non-ionic surfactant, is investigated in a binary coalescence experiment. The focus is on the influence of the ionic strength of the solution on the rate of coalescence. Results are compared with the adsorption kinetics and surface shear/dilatational rheological properties of the surfactant. Experiments show that the coalescence frequency is significantly lower at low ionic strength, and that bubble stability increases with increasing aging time. Stabilization occurs via surfactant adsorption and a resulting electrostatic and/or steric repulsive force. The electrostatic force presumably originates from small amounts of anionic fatty acid soaps, which are residues from the industrial synthesis. The steric force can be related to the adsorption of visco-elastic layers of PGE at the air–water interface.