Mechanical and electrochemical effects on surface convection and on emulsification new criteria

Abstract

Theoretical and experimental studies of surface instability for charged and polarized interfaces between two immiscible liquids are reviewed. A linear analysis of stability shows the role of mechanical and electrochemical para meters for the onset of interfacial convection. Three cases are studied: 1) For the restored Boltzman distribution in bulk phases, the stability is only governed by the interfacial tension through the composition between mechano-chemicaland electrical contributions to the surface free energy; 2) for the non-restored Boltzman distribution, the stability is also governed by the discontinuity of mechanical quantities (density-viscosity) associated with the discontinuity of electrochemical and electrical quantities (dielectric constant-solute concentration-diffusion coefficient, potential drop); and 3) for concentrated charged and dipolar monolayers, the convection criteria of stability are directly related to the discontinuity of mechanical quantities (density-viscosity) associated with the discontinuity of electrochemical quantities (dielectric constant). Additional experiments on emilsification and demulsification were performed in order to verify this last theoretical prediction. © 1984.