title: A Microfluidic Method for Investigating Ion-Specific Bubble Coalescence in Salt Solutions.
abstract: This paper reports the direct and precise measurement of bubble coalescence in salt solutions using microfluidics. We directly visualized the bubble coalescence process in a microchannel using high-speed imaging and evaluated the shortest coalescence time to determine the transition concentration of sodium halide solutions. We found the transition concentration is ion-specific, and the capacity of sodium halide salts to inhibit bubble coalescence follows the order of NaF > NaCl > NaBr > NaI. The microfluidic method overcomes the inherent uncertainties in conventional large-scale devices and methods.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical Engineering, University of Queensland , Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Jianlong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University , Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia.
authors.forename: Say Hwa
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical Engineering, University of Queensland , Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Anh V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering, University of Newcastle , Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.
authors.forename: Geoffrey M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University , Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia.
authors.forename: Nam-Trung
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Nguyen