Issue 10, 2024

Lifetime of vertical giant soap films: role of the relative humidity and film dimensions

Abstract

We consider the lifetime of rectangular vertical soap films and we explore the influence of relative humidity and both dimensions on the stability of large soap films, reaching heights of up to 1.2 m. Using an automated rupture detection system, we achieve a robust statistical measurement of their lifetimes and we also measure the film thinning dynamics. We demonstrate that drainage has a negligible impact on the film stability as opposed to evaporation. To do so, we compare the measured lifetimes with predictions from the Boulogne & Dollet model, originally designed to describe the convective evaporation of hydrogels. Interestingly, we show that this model can predict a maximum film lifetime for all sizes.

Graphical abstract: Lifetime of vertical giant soap films: role of the relative humidity and film dimensions

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 Dec 2023
Accepted
31 Jan 2024
First published
08 Feb 2024

Soft Matter, 2024,20, 2374-2380

Lifetime of vertical giant soap films: role of the relative humidity and film dimensions

M. Pasquet, F. Boulogne, F. Restagno and E. Rio, Soft Matter, 2024, 20, 2374 DOI: 10.1039/D3SM01629C

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements