Stability and Decay Properties of Foam in Seawater.
Abstract
Surface foam is formed by the entrainment of air in the form of small bubbles at and just beneath the water surface during white-capping, when steep waves break and when a displacement ship moves through the water. The residence time of a single-or multi-layer foam at the surface depends on the stability of the bubbles in that layer. This report presents the results of a study which examined the influence of salt content on the foaming ability of water and on the stability of a three-dimensional foam produced by blowing air through controlled laboratory samples of simulated sea water together with a sample of sea water obtained from an Atlantic coastal site. The results clearly show that varying the salt content of a clean water sample between 0 and 16 ppt. significantly influences its foaming ability and the corresponding stability of a layer of surface foam. For salinities between 16 and 36 ppt. there is no appreciable change in the foaming characteristics of a water sample. The behavior of the real seawater sample closely followed that of the simulated seawater samples. The stability characteristics of a multilayer surface foam are summarized in the report.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 24, 1987
- Accession Number
- ADA181740
Entities
People
- O. M. Griffin
- R. D. Peltzer
Organizations
- United States Naval Research Laboratory