Bubble Surface Research Articles

Intermittent Surface Oxygenation Results in Similar Mitochondrial Protection and Maintenance of Aerobic Metabolism as Compared to Continuous Oxygenation during Hypothermic Machine Kidney Machine Perfusion.

Short bubble and subsequent surface oxygenation is an innovative oxygenation technique and alternative for membrane oxygenation during hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP). The metabolic effect of the interruption of surface oxygenation for 4 h (mimicking organ transport) during HMP was compared to continuous surface and membrane oxygenation in a pig kidney ex situ preservation model. After 30 min of warm ischemia by vascular clamping, a kidney of a ±40 kg pig was procured and subsequently preserved according to one of the following groups: (1) 22-h HMP + intermittent surface oxygenation (n = 12); (2) 22-h HMP + continuous membrane oxygenation (n = 6); and (3) 22-h HMP + continuous surface oxygenation (n = 7). Brief perfusate O2 uploading before kidney perfusion was either obtained by direct bubble (groups 1, 3) or by membrane (group 2) oxygenation. Bubble oxygenation during minimum 15 min was as efficient as membrane oxygenation in achieving supraphysiological perfusate pO2 levels before kidney perfusion. Metabolic tissue analysis (i.e., lactate, succinate, ATP, NADH, and FMN) during and at the end of the preservation period demonstrated similar mitochondrial protection between all study groups. Short bubble and subsequent intermittent surface oxygenation of the perfusate of an HMP-kidney might be an effective and cheap preservation strategy to protect mitochondria, eliminating the need/costs of a membrane oxygenator and oxygen source during transport.

Enhancing Flotation Performance of Low-Rank Coal Using Environment-Friendly Vegetable Oil

Flotation is widely used for low-rank coal upgrading, although it is always inefficient due to its rough surface morphology and rich oxygen-containing functional groups. In this study, the environment-friendly vegetable oil 1030# was used to enhance the flotation performance of low-rank coal. The mechanism of 1030# enhancing the flotation of low-rank coal was revealed through surface property analysis of coal particles and bubble–particle adhesion tests. The flotation results showed that the flotation yield of low-rank coal increased with the increase in the collector dosage, and the flotation yield of 1030# as a collector is obviously higher than that of diesel. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were used to analyze the surface morphology of coal particles and components of the reagent. The SEM results showed that the surface of low-rank coal is loose and contains a large number of pores and cracks, which is not conducive to the spreading of chemicals on the coal surface and the mineralization of bubbles and particles. GC-MS results showed that 1030# mainly contained methyl oleate with more unsaturated double bonds than diesel. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to analyze the surface functional groups of the low-rank coal before and after reagent treatment. The results of FTIR and XPS showed that the coal surface of low-rank coal before reagent treatment contained a large number of oxygen-containing functional groups with poor surface hydrophobicity, while the surface of low-rank coal after reagent treatment had reduced oxygen-containing functional groups and increased hydrophobicity. The contact angle of the low-rank coal surface also showed the same variation trend as the FTIR and XPS results. The adhesion force between the bubble and coal surface in different collector solutions was measured. The maximum adhesion between the bubble and coal surface increased with the increase in the collector, and the maximum adhesion force with 1030# treatment was higher than that of diesel. This indicated that 1030# with a large number of polar components is more easily spread on the surface of low-rank coal, thus improving the hydrophobicity of low-rank coal.

An investigation of mineral floatability versus mineral surface exposure and hydrophobicity by high-resolution X-ray microcomputed tomography, film flotation, contact angles, and modeling

Determination of mineral floatability versus mineral surface exposure and hydrophobicity has been challenging because of significant deviations of flotation model assumptions for real mineral surfaces and the unavailability of suitable research tools. Here, we report a successful application of combined advanced experimental techniques and modeling to determine mineral floatability versus mineral surface exposure and hydrophobicity. Specifically, high-resolution X-ray microcomputed tomography (HRXMT) was used to determine the surface exposure of composite mineral particles of quartz and chalcopyrite and compared it with the mineral floatability obtained by film flotation experiments and the contact angle (CA) of the mineral particles. The surface exposure was obtained from the HRXMT images using in-house software. Cassie's theory was applied to estimate the CA of composite particles from the CAs on single mineral phases. The mineral floatability was described by extending the new theory on max adhesion force (tenacity) that holds the particles attached to the bubble surface. The comparison shows a good agreement between the tenacity, surface tension, and the CA calculated from the surface exposure data together with the CA on single mineral phases. This is the first work that quantifies the effect of surface exposure on the floatability of composite particles and can be applied to predict the flotation performance of the composite particles in the mineral processing industry.

The Effects of Viscosity and Capillarity on Nonequilibrium Distribution of Gas Bubbles in Swelling Liquid–Gas Solution

A detailed statistical description of the evolution of supersaturated-by-gas solution at degassing has been presented on the basis of finding the time-dependent distribution in radii of overcritical gas bubbles. The influence of solution viscosity and capillarity via internal pressure in the bubbles on this distribution has been considered until the moment when the gas supersaturation drops due to depletion and stops nucleation of new overcritical gas bubbles. This study is based on our previous results for the nonstationary growth rates of overcritical bubbles depending on gas supersaturation, diffusivity and solubility in solution, solution viscosity, and surface tension on bubble surface. Other important factors are linked with the initial rate of homogeneous gas bubble nucleation and coupling between diffusivity and viscosity in the solution. Here, we numerically studied how all these factors affect the time-dependent distribution function of overcritical bubbles in their radii, maximal and mean bubble radii, and the time-dependent swelling ratio of a supersaturated-by-gas solution in a wide range of solution viscosities.

Experimental study on flow fields and bubble entrainments by the water droplet impact using 3D PIV tests

The phenomenon of a water droplet impact on a free surface is studied to understand the physics of free surface bubble entrainment. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) and high-speed image system are used to analyse the flow structure evolutions in the droplet impact cavity period and bubble entrainment cavity period, respectively. The photographic results show that the entrapped surface of the impact cavity remains intact and continuous, and individual bubble entrainment occurs during the secondary entrainment cavity evolution. The instantaneous distributions of velocity fields in the longitudinal and lateral directions are uniform and independent of the approaching impact velocity. For the entrainment cavity evolution, the transverse diffusion intensity is higher than that for the impact cavity period. An individual bubble forms during the transverse velocity penetration across the droplet impact area. Consequently, for the droplet impact on a water surface, the present study implies the presence of a mechanism by which the interior flow field plays a key role in the bubble entrainment.

A mathematical model for dehydrogenation of molten steel in the Vacuum degasser

This paper presents a mathematical model of VD dehydrogenation aimed at predicting hydrogen removal during the VD vacuum refining process and investigating the effect of controllable parameters on the dehydrogenation process. Taking into account the behavior of argon bubbles during their uplifting, the model considers that the dehydrogenation reaction occurs at three sites, the surface of the Ar bubbles, the bath surface of the molten steel, and the bulk steel. The calculated results are in good agreement with the industrial production data. The hydrogen content of the molten steel during VD dehydrogenation is observed to vary as an inversely proportional function with the vacuum holding time, decreasing rapidly in the early stage and slowing down in the later stage. Using the model, the contribution of different reaction sites to the dehydrogenation process was investigated. It was found that the internal spontaneous nucleation of the molten steel dominated the dehydrogenation process at the beginning. Then, the internal spontaneous nucleation gradually weakened to disappear as the hydrogen content of the molten steel decreased, followed by the dominance of dehydrogenation on the surface of the Ar bubble. The model also investigated the effect of vacuum pressure and argon flow rate on the VD dehydrogenation process. It was found that the vacuum pressure significantly influenced the dehydrogenation rate on the Ar bubble surface and the bath surface mainly by affecting the equilibrium hydrogen concentration in the gas phase and by influencing the critical nucleation depth, which affected the internal spontaneous dehydrogenation. Moreover, the increase of the argon flow rate not only increases the reaction area of the Ar bubble but also the reaction area at the activation zone on the bath surface. Additionally, the increase of the initial hydrogen content in the molten steel significantly promotes the spontaneous dehydrogenation of the internal nucleation in the bulk steel.

The Effect of Mechanical Shaking on the Rising Velocity of Bubbles in High‐Viscosity Shear‐Thinning Fluids

AbstractThe rising velocity of an air bubble in a non‐Newtonian shear‐thinning fluid at low Reynolds numbers is generally similar to the Newtonian case given by Stokes' law. However, when the shear‐thinning fluid is subject to mechanical oscillations, the rising velocity could significantly increase. Here, we present a series of experiments quantifying the rising velocity of single bubbles during shaking in very high‐viscosity (2,000–30,000 Pa·s) shear‐thinning silicone oils. Air bubbles (18–30 mm diameter) were injected in a tank mounted on a shaking table. The tank was horizontally oscillated, at accelerations between 0.4 and 2 g. We observed a small increase in the rising velocity of the shaking cases at our experimental conditions. The increase was larger when bubbles were large and accelerations were high. Larger accelerations experienced the largest observational errors and we emphasize the exploratory nature of our results. We also measured the change in bubble diameter during the oscillations and computed the shear rate at the bubble surface. Maximum shear rates were in the range of 0.04–0.08 s−1. At these shear rates, our analysis indicates that shear thinning behavior of our analog fluids is expected to be small and compete with elastic behavior. This transitional viscous/elastic regime helps explain the small and variable results of our experiments. Our results are relevant to the study of earthquake‐volcano interactions. Most crystal‐free silicate melts would exhibit a purely viscous, shear‐thinning behavior in a natural scenario. Seismically enhanced bubble rise could offer an explanation for the observed increased degassing and unrest following large earthquakes.

Improving the technology of aeration of the food system of mousse at horeca enterprises

There is an interest in sweet dishes such as aerated desserts, which are gaining popularity among consumers. Raw materials of plant origin, used in the technology of aerated products, are intended mainly to improve their quality characteristics. Especially for enrichment with protein substances, micro and macro elements, vitamins, as well as to obtain a product rich in dietary fiber content. In the segment of aerated dessert products, a distinctive feature of which is the multistage of the production process and the need to use special equipment, technologies involve the use of foam and structure-forming food additives. For the formation of a whipped and stable structure, as well as the addition of surfactants that can cover the surfaces of bubbles and prevent their coalescence, food additives of various origins are used. Therefore, it is relevant to investigate the foaming ability and stability of aerated desserts and improve the technological parameters of the processes or foam structures of desserts. It is necessary to take into account the structural and mechanical properties of aerated dessert products, which are the main characteristics of the quality of aerated desserts. Thus, it is relevant to devise technologies for aerated desserts and food additives in their composition, which will serve as a stabilizing agent, as well as a dietary supplement. A recipe for aerated dessert – mousse based on fermented milk cheese with the introduction of a complex additive into the recipe – was developed. The optimal amount of food additive in the composition of aerated dessert, which is 3 % of the recipe composition, has been established, which will ensure the stability of the food system of aerated products, in particular mousses. The influence of the additive on the structural and mechanical properties of the food system of dessert has been investigated. The experimental data could be used for improving technologies for the production of aerated desserts.

Hydrogen and helium trapping in hcp beryllium

Even though hydrogen-metal surface interactions play an important role in energy technologies and metal corrosion, a thorough understanding of these interactions at the nanoscale remains elusive due to obstructive detection limits in instrumentation and the volatility of pure hydrogen. In the present paper we use analytical spectroscopy in TEM to show that hydrogen adsorbs directly at the (0001) surfaces of hexagonal helium bubbles within neutron irradiated beryllium. In addition to hydrogen, we also found Al, Si and Mg at the beryllium-bubble interfaces. The strong attraction of these elements to (0001) surfaces is underlined with ab-initio calculations. In situ TEM heating experiments reveal that hydrogen can desorb from the bubble walls at T ≥ 400 °C if the helium content is reduced by opening the bubbles. Based on our results we suggest the formation of a complex hydride consisting of up to five elements with a remarkably high decomposition temperature. These results therefore promise novel insights into metal-hydrogen interaction behavior and are invaluable for the safety of future fusion power plants.

Morphology Study of Hydrate Shell Crystal Growth on a Microbubble Interface in the Presence of Additives

Bubble dispersions in water can be observed in both wellbore or subsea piping as well as subsea gas seepages. The hydrate risk in subsea pipelines or methane leaks from the cold spring into seawater can be strongly influenced by the hydrate crystal growth on bubbles. In addition, the bubbling method has been proven to be an effective method to enhance the gas–liquid mixing pathway and promote hydrate’s rapid formation in the application of hydrate-based technologies, yet the microscopic mechanism of hydrate film growth on the bubbles still needs to be further clarified. In this study, the hydrate crystal growth morphology evolution at the microbubble interface was investigated by a high-resolution microscope combined with the temperature-controlled stage. The results showed that the hydrate crystals nucleated rapidly at the bubble interface to form a hydrate shell-coated structure in a pure water system. The defect growth mechanism dominated the hydrate crystals growth at the bubble interface in additive solutions. Hydrate did not nucleate directly on the surface of bubbles but by trapping guest molecules around the shrinking bubbles to form aggregated hydrate agglomeration in the presence of surfactants. In addition, the bubbles tend to provide a steady stream of gas source for hydrate formation. The growth of hydrate shells contributed to a normal distribution of bubble shrinking rates, with an average rate of 9 μm/s in 0.5 wt % NaCl solution. The existence of a high concentration of ions or organic molecules at the microbubbles’ interface and the exclusive effect played a dominant role in the process of hydrate formation. In addition, it was found that the repulsive effect of ions at the bubble interface on hydrate formation was weak under a high subcooling degree. However, other organic molecule promoters still accelerated the hydrate’s formation rate because they increased the dissolution and diffusion rate of gas in solution. The results are expected to strengthen further the applications relating to hydrate-based phase transition promotion technology in the industry in energy storage, gas separation, or inhibition techniques in flow assurance of the offshore industry.

Dimensional analysis of vapor bubble growth considering bubble–bubble interactions in flash boiling microdroplets of highly volatile liquid electrofuels

Electrofuels (e-fuels) produced from renewable electricity and carbon sources have gained significant attention in recent years as promising alternatives to fossil fuels for the transportation sector. However, the highly volatile e-fuels, such as short-chain oxymethylene ethers (OMEx) are prone to flash vaporization phenomena, which is associated with the formation and growth of vapor bubbles, followed by explosive bursting of the liquid jet. This phenomenon is important in many practical applications, for example, superheated liquid sprays in gasoline direct injection engines as well as cryogenic engines. The simulation of a flash boiling spray of such highly volatile liquid fuels is numerically challenging due to several reasons, including (1) the complexity of the bubble growth process in the presence of multiple vapor bubbles and (2) the need to use an extremely small time step size to accurately capture the underlying physics associated with the flash boiling process. In this paper, we first present a bubble growth model in flash boiling microdroplets considering bubble–bubble interactions along with the finite droplet size effects. A dimensional analysis of the newly derived Rayleigh–Plesset equation (RPE) with bubble–bubble interactions is then performed for Reynolds numbers of different orders of magnitude to estimate the relative importance of different forces acting on the bubble surface. Based on this analysis, a simplified nondimensional semi-analytical solution for bubble growth, which also includes the bubble–bubble interactions, is derived to estimate the bubble growth behavior with reasonable accuracy using the larger time step sizes for a wide range of operating conditions. The derived semi-analytical solution is shown to be a good approximation for describing the bubble growth rate over the whole lifetime of the bubble, thus making it useful for simulations of superheated sprays with large numbers of droplets and even more bubbles. The bubble–bubble interactions are found to have a significant impact on the bubble growth dynamics and result in delaying the onset of droplet bursting due to the slower growth of the vapor bubble compared to the bubble growth without bubble–bubble interactions. Furthermore, in a comparison with DNS results, the proposed bubble growth model is shown to reasonably capture the impact of bubble interactions leading to smaller volumetric droplet expansion.

Comparison of Vortex Cut and Vortex Ring Models for Toroidal Bubble Dynamics in Underwater Explosions

The jet impact from a collapsing bubble is an important mechanism of structural damage in underwater explosions and cavitation erosion. The Boundary Integral Method (BIM) is widely used to simulate nonspherical bubble dynamic behaviors due to its high accuracy and efficiency. However, conventional BIM cannot simulate toroidal bubble dynamics, as the flow field transforms from single-connected into double-connected. To overcome this problem, vortex cut and vortex ring models can be used to handle the discontinuous potential on the toroidal bubble surface. In this work, we compare these two models applied to toroidal bubble dynamics in a free field and near a rigid wall in terms of bubble profile, bubble gas pressure, and dynamic pressure induced by the bubble, etc. Our results show that the two models produce comparable outcomes with a sufficient number of nodes in each. In the axisymmetric case, the vortex cut model is more efficient than the vortex ring model. Moreover, we found that both models improve in self-consistency as the number of bubble surface elements (N) increases, with N=300 representing an optimal value. Our findings provide insights into the numerical study of toroidal bubble dynamics, which can enhance the selection and application of numerical models in research and engineering applications.

Study on bubble pulsation process of underwater explosion between parallel plates with various distances

This paper presents a numerical and experimental study of the dynamic behavior of underwater explosion bubbles between two parallel plates at different detonation distances. To simulate the strong nonlinear interaction between cavitation bubbles and the near-wall boundary, the coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian (CEL) method is used. The evolution of bubble morphology in the fluid domain is observed simultaneously, revealing the flow inside the bubble and the pulsation process under various visual angles that are difficult to observe in the experiment. In the experimental system, micro-equivalent explosives are used to generate shock waves, and the shock wave load during bubble pulsation and wall pressure during collapse phase are measured. High-speed cameras capture the bubble morphology evolution process and dynamic behavior at different detonation distances, which are then compared with the numerical results to verify their accuracy.The study focuses on the bubble morphology evolution process with dimensionless distance φ ranging from 0.42 to 1.71, and the collapse modes of bubbles in different forms are discussed in detail. The pulsation process of bubbles in the free field is verified, and it is found that when the distance between the two plates is less than the maximum radius of the bubble, the bubble collapses in the center between the two plates as the dimensionless distance r increases. Moreover, the Locating column has a large interference on the bubble movement. The bubble surface is divided into five layers of ring ligament with obvious characteristics. This paper investigates the dynamic behaviour of cavitation bubbles between two parallel plates at different plate spacings. The bubble undergoes a series of shape changes, from a columnar cake to a multi-layer ring with obvious edge tomography, and finally collapses into a number of minor bubbles, producing a cavitation bubble band connecting the two cavitation layer ligaments. When the plate spacing is between 1 and 1.5 times the maximum bubble radius, the bubble edge contacts the target plate, causing it to change from a “Hamburg” shape to an hourglass shape, tear into two sub-bubbles, and then produce two bubble jets pointing at opposite target plates. The vortex at the edge of the bubble influences the bubble's shape, resulting in an obvious corner and the formation of an annular bubble. When the plate spacing is greater than 1.5 times the maximum bubble radius, the bubble is torn into two sub-bubbles, and the bubble edge is smooth and does not contact the target plate during expansion. The numerical model accurately simulates the bubble pulsation and jet formation process, which is validated by experimental results. However, the experimental system has limitations in terms of image interval and viewing angle, which can be addressed by using the numerical model to simulate the bubble pulsation process at a higher resolution and a three-dimensional perspective. This study provides valuable insights into the strong nonlinear interaction between bubbles and target plates at different detonation distances. The accuracy of the HPB measurement system is also verified, and the numerical method used in this study is effectively simulates the pulsation characteristics of cavitation bubbles, including the formation of jets and annular bubbles. This work lays a solid foundation for further studies on cavitation bubble dynamics and their interaction with target plates, which has important implications for the design and analysis of underwater structures subjected to explosive loads.

Mass transfer dynamics of single CO2 bubbles rising in monoethanolamine solutions: Experimental study and mathematical model

Carbon dioxide (CO2) absorption into amine-based absorbents is a widely used method for carbon emission reduction to deal with global warming problems. The intensification of the absorption process relies on an in-depth understanding of the mass transfer mechanisms between CO2 gas and the reaction media. However, the influence of products of a chemical reaction on mass transfer dynamics is usually underestimated. In this study, we perform research studies on the absorption process of single CO2 bubbles rising in monoethanolamine (MEA) solutions. Firstly, we perform an experimental study to visualize and measure the spatial position and the diameter of the bubbles using the high-speed camera. We observe a special phenomenon that the CO2 bubble diameter rapidly decreases to a nearly constant value in MEA solutions, and the terminal bubble diameter increases with the MEA concentration. Based on the phenomenon, we divide the absorption process into two stages. One is the mass transfer enhancement stage, where the bubble diameter decreases rapidly. The other is the mass transfer deterioration stage, where the bubble diameter remains almost constant. Furthermore, we propose an elaborate mass transfer dynamics model considering the combined effect of chemical reaction kinetics and reaction-induced bubble surface contamination. Finally, a well-predictive performance by the mass transfer dynamics model is validated by experiment. The findings of this study are of theoretical and practical significance for the mass transfer in gas–liquid reactive flow and multiphase reactor design.

Multiscale Modeling of Sorption Kinetics

In this paper, we propose and validate a multiscale model for the description of particle diffusion in presence of trapping boundaries. We start from a drift-diffusion equation in which the drift term describes the effect of bubble traps and is modeled by a short-range potential with an attractive term and a repulsive core. The interaction of the particles attracted by the bubble surface is simulated by the Lennard–Jones potential that simplifies the capture due to the hydrophobic properties of the ions. In our model, the effect of the potential is replaced by a suitable boundary condition derived by mass conservation and asymptotic analysis. The potential is assumed to have a range of small size . An asymptotic expansion in the is considered, and the boundary conditions are obtained by retaining the lowest-order terms in the expansion. Another aspect we investigate is the saturation effect coming from high concentrations in the proximity of the bubble surface. The validity of the model is carefully checked with several tests in one and two dimensions and different geometries.

Model for Investigating Relationships between Surfactant Micropollutant Properties and Their Separation from Liquid in a Bubble Column.

The removal of surfactant micropollutants, such as dyes, pharmaceuticals, and proteins, through foam is very important in biotechnology and wastewater treatment. The literature shows that previous models consider mass balances within the foam but not the adsorption dynamics of micropollutant surfactants on bubble surfaces in the liquid solution. Thus, the main objective of this work is to examine the removal of surfactant micropollutants in a bubble column considering both mass balance and adsorption dynamics to calculate surfactant transport from the liquid bulk to the bubble surface. This allows investigation of the relationships between surfactant hydrophobicity and surfactant separation efficiency from the liquid. It was found that the removal of the surfactant strongly depends on the dynamic adsorption behavior of surfactant on bubble surfaces, and the highest foam fractionation performance was achieved when the surfactant molecule was highly hydrophobic. This work demonstrates that the adsorption dynamics rather than adsorption thermodynamics on bubble surfaces is critical when modeling the removal of surfactant micropollutants from water solutions.

Effect of laser spot diameter on oxygen bubble behavior in photoelectrochemical water splitting

The detrimental effect caused by the long-term adhesion of bubbles on the gas production efficiency has been the main bottleneck limiting the efficiency improvement of photoelectrochemical water splitting. The evolution of oxygen bubbles on the fixed photoelectrode surface of TiO2 films was observed in-situ using a combination of a synchronized high-speed microscopic camera and an electrochemical workstation. The effect of oxygen bubble evolution on the current during the photoelectrochemical reaction was investigated under different laser spot diameters. When the spot diameter increased 1.68 times from 700 μm to 1176 μm with a laser power of 5 mW, the bubble detachment diameter and growth period increased 2.7 times and 20.2 times, respectively, yet the gas production efficiency decreased by 34.7%. Meanwhile, the peak current caused by the bubble detachment gradually increased. However, the valley current at the nucleation waiting stage of the bubble did not have obvious changes. The model for the gas evolving based on supersaturation was adopted. It illustrated that the concentration gradient of dissolved gas perpendicular to the photoelectrode surface increased with the increase of spot diameter, leading to an increase in the bubble surface tension gradient, and causing the Marangoni force to inhibit the detachment of bubbles. A force balance model was developed to evaluate the Marangoni forces and the buoyancy forces. The growth rate of the Marangoni force was found to be proportional to the spot diameter. Therefore, reducing the laser spot diameter is a means to effectively remove the bubbles from the photoelectrode surface.

Microbubbles preparation by partial vaporization of low boiling condensate for crude oil/water separation

The poor adhesion of oil droplets and bubbles in the flotation process leads to inefficient separation of oil and water. In this paper, condensate bubbles were prepared by partial vaporization of low boiling point condensate to increase the oil removal effect. The purpose of partial vaporization was achieved by bringing emulsified condensate droplets into the produced water at different temperatures. The structure of the bubble is composed of condensate film wrapped around the gas core of the vaporized portion. The contact angle between condensate bubble and oil surface is >150°, which show great similarity-intermiscibility. The average bubble size prepared at 303 K - 318 K is 20 - 100 μm. The stability of bubbles decreased with an increase in temperature, the half-decay time decreased from 340 s to 110 s, and the zeta potential decreased from −31 mV to −12 mV. However, the gas hold-up of the bubbles first increased and then decreased with the increase in temperature, while the highest gas holdup was 21 % at 313 K. The rise of the condensate/water ratio (Rcon-wat) did not increase the stability of the bubbles, but the gas holdup increase. The condensate bubble flotation experiment found that at the optimum temperature 313 K, the oil removal efficiency of 1.5 % Rcon-wat can reach 85 %. In contrast, the oil removal efficiency of the dissolved air flotation experiment is <75 %. Otherwise, with a smaller amount of flocculant (ferric chloride), the oil removal efficiency of condensate bubble flotation can reach >95 %.

Surfactant sorption on a single air bubble in an ultrasonic standing acoustic wave field

Ultrasound application presents a promising non-intrusive way to enhance and facilitate mass transfer in aqueous systems. This enhanced mass transfer can influence the sorption processes in multiphase flows. Previous studies investigating the impact of ultrasound on sorption, have reported an increase in either desorption due to the rise in liquid temperature or adsorption due to the additional convective mass transfer resulting from acoustic streaming. In this study, low intensity ultrasound with a frequency of 36kHz was deployed to evaluate the sorption process of Triton X-100 on the surface of a single bubble, placed along the standing acoustic wave using profile analysis tensiometry. Furthermore, microscopic particle image velocimetry was used to understand the role acoustic streaming might play during different stages of the sorption process. Contrary to expectations, the results showed no considerable change in surface tension and sorption dynamics after sonicating both fresh and surfactant-loaded bubbles. The results of this study suggest that the observations from previous studies may be attributed to the additional energy input of the acoustic wave into the system rather than the presence of an external acoustic field.

Three-phase froth stability in hematite flotation using DDA as a collector

The effect of hematite and quartz with different particle sizes on the three-phase froth stability using dodecylamine (DDA) as a collector was investigated, and the mechanism of how quartz improves froth stability was explored. Microflotation experiment, three-phase froth stability experiment, froth morphology photography, pulp viscosity measurement, contact angle measurement, zeta potential measurement, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry analysis, and molecular dynamics simulation were conducted in this investigation. Results showed that flotation performance and froth stability were obviously different for minerals with different particle sizes. The froth half-life was remarkably higher in the presence of quartz particles compared with hematite particles, forming stickier froth, especially for quartz particle sizes below −18 μm. Fine quartz was found to be a key factor in improving the froth stability in hematite flotation using DDA as a collector. The high pulp viscosity, damping coefficient, and maximum capillary pressure resulting from quartz with low density, small size, and high concentration hindered liquid drainage and reduced the desorption probability of particles from the bubble surface, thereby preventing the coalescence of two adjacent bubbles. DDA was found to be more readily adsorbed on the quartz surface, leading to a higher adsorption capacity, better hydrophobicity, and increased distribution of counter ions at the interface. This condition reinforced the mutual repulsion force between liquid film surfaces and prevented further thinning of the liquid film, ultimately strengthening froth stability.