Rheological Properties of Gel Foam Co-Stabilized with Nanoparticles, Xanthan Gum, and Multiple Surfactants

Abstract

Gel foam has the advantages of gel and foam and shows good prospects for applications in the fields of fire prevention and extinguishing. Rheology has a significant impact on the application of gel foam, but there is little related research. In the present study, hydrophilic silica nanoparticles (NPs) and water-soluble polymer xanthan gum (XG) were combined with fluorocarbon surfactant (FS-50) and hydrocarbon surfactant (APG0810) to create gel foam. The foaming ability and foam drainage were evaluated. The gel foam’s rheology, including its flow behavior and viscoelasticity, was systematically investigated. The results show that the foaming of the FS-50/APG0810 mixture decreases but the foam drainage increases in the presence of NPs and/or XG. All of the foams belong to the category of non-Newtonian fluids with shear thinning behavior. The flow curves of the foams are consistent with the Cross model. The presence of XG/NPs enhanced the foam viscoelasticity of the FS-50/APG0810 mixture. The silica NPs showed a better ability to enhance foam viscoelasticity but a worse ability to stabilize the foam compared to XG. This research can offer theoretical support for the industrial usage of gel foam.

An overview of edible foams in food and modern cuisine: Destabilization and stabilization mechanisms and applications

“…Gel foams with the dual characteristics of gel and foam have a viscoelastic texture different from that of liquid foams (Fan et al., 2023). The hydration and network structure of the gel agent effectively prevent the drainage of the foam and improve the ability of the liquid film to resist external interference (Sheng et al., 2023; Shi, Qin, et al., 2022). Meanwhile, the elastic film and polymer network structure effectively restrict the movement of bubbles, thereby preventing coalescence and disproportionation, ultimately resulting in a gel foam with superior strength and stability.…”

“…Non‐amphiphilic polysaccharides dispersed in the aqueous phase inhibit the movement and aggregation of dispersed bubbles through gel or thickening mechanism even at low concentrations (Eghbaljoo et al., 2022; Nejatdarabi et al., 2022). Polysaccharides, such as xanthan gum (Sheng et al., 2023), sodium alginate (Han et al., 2022), guar gum (Fan et al., 2023), and cellulose (Weinberger et al., 2009), are often used as gelators to improve the texture and stability of foams. These polysaccharides form a viscoelastic liquid film and a tangled network structure in foam to prevent liquid film drainage, bubble coalescence, and coarsening.…”

Prediction of Foam Rheology Models Parameters Utilizing Machine Learning Tools

“…6−9 However, few studies presented foam as Bingham plastic, Herschel− Bulkley, or Cross models. 10,11 Einstein 1,15 derived the first model to determine the rheological behavior of foam. However, it is limited only to low foam qualities, below 10%.…”

“…The rheological models, such as power law, Bingham plastic, or Herschel–Bulkley, are determined using the relationship between shear rate and stress or viscosity . Generally, most of the published reports show that foam fluid follows a power-law model. − However, few studies presented foam as Bingham plastic, Herschel–Bulkley, or Cross models. , …”

“… 6 − 9 However, few studies presented foam as Bingham plastic, Herschel–Bulkley, or Cross models. 10 , 11 …”