Eur. Phys. J. E (2015) 38: 123
https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2015-15123-3

Regular Article

Flow of foam through a convergent channel

Institut de Physique de Rennes, UMR 6251 CNRS/Université Rennes 1, Bâtiment 11A, 35042, Rennes Cedex, France

^* e-mail: benjamin.dollet@univ-rennes1.fr

Received: 1 October 2015
Accepted: 5 November 2015
Published online: 26 November 2015

Abstract

We study experimentally the flow of a foam confined as a bubble monolayer between two plates through a convergent channel. We quantify the velocity, the distribution and orientation of plastic events, and the elastic stress, using image analysis. We use two different soap solutions: a sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solution, with a negligible wall friction between the bubbles and the confining plates, and a mixture containing a fatty acid, giving a large wall friction. We show that for SDS solutions, the velocity profile obeys a self-similar form which results from the superposition of plastic events, and the elastic deformation is uniform. For the other solution, the velocity field differs and the elastic deformation increases towards the exit of the channel. We discuss and quantify the role of wall friction on the velocity profile, the elastic deformation, and the rate of plastic events.