Stokes flow past bubbles and drops partially coated with thin films. Part 1. Stagnant cap of surfactant film – exact solution

Abstract

In this investigation the creeping flow due to the motion of a liquid drop or a bubble in another immiscible fluid is examined when the interface is partially covered by a stagnant layer of surfactant. The associated boundary-value problem involves mixed boundary conditions at the interface, which lead to a set of dual series equations. An inversion of these equations yields the exact solution to the stagnant cap problem.Several useful results are obtained in closed form. Among these are the expressions for the drag force, the difference between the maximum and the minimum interfacial tensions, and the amount of adsorbed surfactant. A shifting of the centre of the internal vortex is observed.