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Updated: May 20, 2026
07:06
Methods for the Self-integration of Megamolecular Biopolymers on the Drying Air-LC Interface
Published on: April 7, 2017
Skin formation and bubble growth during drying process of polymer solution
1Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. arai1010@iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp
The European Physical Journal. E, Soft Matter
|July 10, 2012
Summary
Skin formation during polymer solution drying can lead to bubble formation. Experiments reveal bubbles contain solvent vapor and dissolved air, nucleating due to pressure drops under the skin and growing via diffusion.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Science
- Materials Science
- Physical Chemistry
Background:
- Skin formation is a common phenomenon during the drying of polymer solutions with volatile solvents.
- Subsequent bubble formation within the solution after skin development is frequently observed but poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between skin formation and bubble formation during polymer solution drying.
- To elucidate the mechanisms driving bubble nucleation and growth in this context.
Main Methods:
- Experimental measurements of skin layer thickness over time.
- Monitoring of bubble size evolution.
- In-situ measurement of pressure within the polymer solution.
Main Results:
- The gas within the bubbles is a composite of solvent vapor and dissolved air from the solution.
- Bubble nucleation is facilitated by a reduction in solution pressure beneath the formed skin layer.
- Bubble growth is primarily constrained by the diffusion rate of dissolved air molecules.
Conclusions:
- The study clarifies the interconnected processes of skin and bubble formation in drying polymer solutions.
- Identifies the gas composition and the pressure-driven nucleation mechanism for bubbles.
- Highlights diffusion limitation, particularly of dissolved air, as the key factor in bubble growth.
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