Surfactant micelles containing solubilized oil decrease foam film thickness stability

Abstract

Many practical applications involving three-phase foams (aqueous foams containing oil) commonly employ surfactants at several times their critical micelle concentration (CMC); in these applications, the oil can exist in two forms: (1) oil drops or macroemulsions and (2) oil solubilized within the micelles. We have recently observed that in the case of aqueous foams stabilized with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and n-dodecane as an oil, the oil drops did not alter the foam stability but the solubilized oil (swollen micelles) greatly influenced the foam’s stability. In order to explain the effect of oil solubilized in the surfactant micelles on foam stability, we studied the stability of a single foam film containing swollen micelles of SDS using reflected light microinterferometry. The film thinning occurs in stepwise manner (stratification). In addition, we obtained data for the film-meniscus contact angle versus film thickness (corresponding to the different number of micellar layers) and used it to calculate the film structural energy isotherm. The results of this study showed that the structural energy stabilization barrier decreased in the presence of swollen micelles in the film, thereby decreasing the foam stability. These results provide a better understanding of the role of oil solubilized by the micelles in affecting foam stability.