Low gas permeability of particulate films slows down the aging of gas marbles

Abstract

Introducing solid particles into liquid films drastically changes their properties: “gas marbles” can resist overpressure and underpressure ten times larger than their pure liquid counterparts – also known as soap bubbles – before deforming. Such gas marbles can therefore prove to be useful as gas containers able to support stresses. Yet, as their liquid counterparts, they can undergo gas transfer, which can reduce the scope of their applications. However, their permeability has never been characterized. In this paper, we measure the gas permeability of gas marbles through dedicated experiments. Our results show that particulate films are less permeable to gas than their pure liquid counterparts. We attribute this limited overall gas flux to the particles that reduce the surface area through which gas diffuses.