Bubble formation in shear-thinning fluids: Laser image measurement and a novel correlation for detached volume

Abstract

A laser image system has been established to quantify the characteristics of growing bubbles in quiescent shear-thinning fluids. Bubble formation mechanism was investigated by comparing the evolutions of bubble instantaneous shape, volume and surface area in two shear-thinning liquids with those in Newtonian liquid. The effects of solution mass concentration, gas chamber volume and orifice diameter on bubble detachment volume are discussed. By dimensional analysis, a single bubble volume detached within a moderate gas flowrate range was developed as a function of Reynolds number ,Re, Weber number, We, and gas chamber number, Vc, based on the orifice diameter. The results reveal that the generated bubble presents a slim shape due to the shear-thinning effect of the fluid. Bubble detachment volume increases with the solution mass concentration, gas chamber volume and orifice diameter. The results predicted by the present correlation agree better with the experimental data than the previous ones within the range of this paper.