The main physicochemical aspects of foam and foam films such as preparation, structure, properties, are considered, giving a special emphasis on foam stability. It is shown that the foam and foam films are an efficient object in the study of various surface phenomena and in establishing regularities common for different interfaces, in particular, water/oil interface. The techniques and results on foam films have an independent meaning and involve the latest achievement in this field, with a focus on authors' results. The book has an expressed monographic character. It reveals joint ideas, i.e. the quantitative approach in treating foams is based on foam film behaviour and the techniques for controlling the foam liquid content, developed by the authors. A major contribution represents the independent consideration of formation and stability of foam films in theoretical and experimental aspects. No monograph published so far reveals these topics in the mentioned manner. Data and information about foams, physicochemical characterization of surfactants, phospholipids and polymers can also be found. Furthermore, the book provides information about: techniques involved in the study of foam films and foam structure and properties; foam drainage; processes of destruction in gravitational and centrifugal fields; reasons for stability of films and their role in the processes running in the foam; mechanical, rheological, optical, thermophysical, electrical properties; foam destruction upon addition of antifoams (mechanism of destruction, techniques, application); scientific principles of controlling foam properties and their application in foam separation and concentration; enhanced oil recovery; thermodynamic and non-equilibrium properties of foam films, stabilized by surfactants, phospholipids and polymers; techniques for the study of surface forces; formation and stability of foam films; black films, including bilayers; new theories of stability of amphiphile bilayer; experiments involved in this stability; application in biology and medicine.

This book describes in detail the scientific philosophy of the formation and stabilization-destabilization of foams. It presents all hierarchical steps of a foam, starting from the properties of adsorption layers formed by foaming agents, discussing the properties of foam films as the building blocks of a foam, and then describing details of real foams, including many fields of application. The information presented in the book is useful to people working on the formulation of foams or attempting to avoid or destruct foams in unwanted situations.

Combining academic and industrial viewpoints, this is the definitive stand-alone resource for researchers, students and industrialists. With the latest on foam research, test methods and real-world applications, it provides straightforward answers to why foaming occurs, how it can be avoided, and how different degrees of antifoaming can be achieved.

The book Foams: Theory and Industrial Applications, written by the undersigned and three collaborators and published in 1953, is still the only monograph on liquid foam in the English language. Naturally the science of foams had advanced in the intervening years so that a practically new book had to be prepared to give justice to the present state of our know ledge. This monograph has only one author and does not deal with solid foams, fire-fighting foams, and flotation, on which information is available elsewhere. The other applications of foam and its fundamental properties are reviewed at length and, whenever possible, attempts are made to reach the truth through a maze of conflicting evidence. February 1973 J. J. BIKERMAN Contents page Preface . v 1. General. Foam Films (Sections 1-22) 1 Foam Films 5 References 30 2. Formation and Structure (Sections 23-42) 33 Dispersion Methods 33 Condensation Methods 51 Foam Structure 59 References 62 3. Measurement of Foaminess (Sections 43-62) 65 Films and Bubbles 66 Foams. 76 References 94 4. Results of Foaminess Measurements (Sections 63-84) . 98 Poorly Foaming Liquids . 98 Strongly Foaming Liquids 108 Other Systems 132 References 140 5. Three-phase Foams (Sections 85-90) 149 References 157 6. Foam Drainage (Sections 91-106) 159 Experimental Data . 173 References 181 7. Mechanical Properties of Foams (Sections 107-122) 184 References 211 8. Optical Properties of Foams (Sections 123 -127) . 214 References 222 vii viii Contents 9.

Ordinary foams such as the head of a glass of beer and more exotic ones such as solid metallic foams raise many questions for the physicist and have attracted a substantial research community in recent years. The present book describes the results of extensive experiments, computer simulations, and theories in an authoritative yet informal style, making ample use of illustrations and photographs. As an introduction to the whole field of the physics of foams it puts a strong emphasis on liquids while also including solid foams. Simple, idealized models are adopted and their consequences explored. Specific topics include: structure, drainage, rheology, conductivity, and coarsening. A minimum of mathematics is used. Theory and experiment are described together at every stage. A guide to further reading is provided through carefully selected references. This is a complete and coherent introduction to the subject which no other modern text currently offers.

A general and introductory survey of foams, emulsions and cellular materials. Foams and emulsions are illustrations of some fundamental concepts in statistical thermodynamics, rheology, elasticity and the physics and chemistry of divided media and interfaces. They also give rise to some of the most beautiful geometrical shapes and tilings, ordered or disordered. The chapters are grouped into sections having fairly loose boundaries. Each chapter is intelligible alone, but cross referencing means that the few concepts that may not be familiar to the reader can be found in other chapters in the book. Audience: Research students, researchers and teachers in physics, physical chemistry, materials science, mechanical engineering and geometry.

Foams and froths are an important feature of everyday life; one only has to think of shaving foam, foam upholstery, fire fighting foam, bread, bear head, and ice cream. Less obvious but equally important are the foams and foaming processes which are being exploited in ever more complex and imaginative ways in industry. However, the unusual nature of foams, the fact that they are neither solids or liquids, and their very fragility has prevented scientists from obtaining a thorough understanding of even the basic principles of foam formation and stability. This volume presents papers on the physics, chemistry, structure and ultrastructure of foams by contributors from a wide range of backgrounds and research disciplines. The aim of the book is to present a unique multi-disciplinary cross section of work currently being undertaken on the subject of foams.

This book takes an interface science approach to describe and understand the behavior of the dispersions we call emulsions, microemulsions and foams. The one thing all these dispersions have in common is the presence of surface-active species (surfactants) adsorbed at the interfaces between the two fluid phases that make up the emulsions, microemulsions or foams. The interfacial layers formed by the surfactants control most of the properties of the dispersions. The book describes the properties of interfacial layers, thin films and bulk fluids used in the elaboration of the various dispersions and it explains how such properties relate to the dispersion properties of these soft matter systems: structure, rheology and stability. These dispersion properties are far from being fully understood, in particular foam and emulsion stability. In discussing the state of the art of the current knowledge, the author draws interesting parallels between emulsions, microemulsions and foams that enlighten the interpretation of previous observations and point to a deeper understanding of the behavior of these materials in the future.

Reviews all known antifoam mechanisms, and discusses the appropriate practical approaches for solving foam control problems in a variety of industrial contexts. These range from crude oil production to detergent formulation.

Foams are ubiquitous in human life and can be found in a variety of products and materials, such as sodas and sponges. There are liquid foams and solid foams, both of which have distinct properties useful for various applications. This book reviews, researches, and summarizes the potential uses of foam fluids and porous foams in engineering, medicine, and other industries. Chapters discuss different types of foams including multiphase foams, cellular foams, and ceramic foams as well as foam-generating mechanisms and techniques.