Foam drainage

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Abstract
Transient drainage from a column of persistent foam has been analyzed theoretically. Gravity-driven flow was assumed to occur through an interconnected network of Plateau borders that define the edges of foam cells taken to be regular pentagonal dodecahedrons. A small liquid volume fraction and monodisperse cell size distribution were assumed. In the basic model, it is assumed that all liquid is contained in Plateau borders that are bounded by rigid gas-liquid interfaces. The predicted half life, the time required for one half of the liquid to drain from the foam, is inversely proportional to the square of the cell diameter, illustrating the importance of foam structure in drainage. Liquid hold up in the films separating adjacent cells, nonuniform initial liquid volume fraction distribution and interfacial mobility are explored. Border suction due to reduced pressure in the Plateau borders provides a mechanism for film drainage. Simultaneous film drainage and flow through the Plateau borders are analyzed. Sufficient conditions for neglecting film drainage kinetics are obtained. The results indicate that improved foam stability is related to small cells, liquid hold up in the films and slow film drainage kinetics.

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