Low gas permeability of particulate films slows down the aging of gas marbles

Abstract

Introducing solid particles into liquid films drastically changes their properties: "gas marbles" can resist overpressure and underpressure ten times larger than their pure liquid counterparts - also known as soap bubbles - before deforming. Such gas marbles can therefore prove to be useful as gas containers able to support stresses. Yet, as their liquid counterparts, they can undergo gas transfer, which can reduce the scope of their applications. However, their permeability has never been characterized. In this paper, we measure the gas permeability of gas marbles through dedicated experiments. Our results show that particulate films are less permeable to gas than their pure liquid counterparts. We attribute this limited overall gas flux to the particles that reduce the surface area through which gas diffuses.

Everlasting bubbles and liquid films resisting drainage, evaporation, and nuclei-induced bursting

“…2, the shell of a water gas marble once dried collapses as a sand pile (Movie M1), while the shell of the water/glycerol gas marble is still liquid and spherical and reacts as a liquid film when punctured (Movie M2). can sustain metastable [13] nonspherical shapes [14,15] or "gas marbles" (air bubbles) [16,17] supporting positive and negative relative pressure one order of magnitude larger than the Laplace pressure. The addition of particles to an interface can also lead to some counterintuitive behaviors such as surface energy-driven fingering instability in a reversed Saffman-Taylor configuration [18] or films growing ahead of a liquid meniscus moving in a capillary tube [15].…”

“…Neutralizing drainage. "Gas marbles" are by definition gas bubbles whose composite shell is made of liquid and partially wetting particles [16,17]. Here, we first study the mass evolution and lifetime of water gas marbles for different ambient humidities [Figs.…”

Bubbles and liquid films resisting drainage, evaporation and nuclei-induced bursting

“…"Gas marbles" are by definition gas bubbles whose composite shell is made of liquid and partially-wetting particles and surrounded by an ambient gas 21,22 . Here we study first the mass evolution and lifetime of water gas marbles for different ambient humidities (Fig.…”

“…Adding partially-wetting particles to liquid/air interfaces 6 has been investigated as a mean to strengthen their resistance to mechanical stresses providing an interfacial material with properties at the crossroad between solids and liquids 23 . When drops and bubbles are covered with such a composite interface, some extraor-dinary properties have been reported such as: non-stick droplets (so-called "liquid marbles") 4,8,15 able to roll on solid surfaces, "armoured bubbles" 13 in a liquid stable to dissolution 1 and which can sustain metastable 18 non-spherical shapes 20,24 or finally "gas marbles" (air bubbles) 21,22 supporting positive and negative relative pressure one order of magnitude larger than the Laplace pressure. The addition of particles to an interface can also lead to some counter-intuitive behaviours such as surface energy driven fingering instability in reversed Saffman-Taylor configuration 5 or films growing ahead of a liquid meniscus moving in a capillary tube 24 .…”