Foam experiments in parabolic flights: Development of an ISS facility and capillary drainage experiments

We report results of experiments on aqueous foams performed under microgravity conditions obtained during parabolic flights. After a presentation of the FOAM project for the International Space Station (concepts, objectives and technical issues), we show how some of the technical issues can be addressed in parabolic flights. Results on different methods of controlled foam production, and on prototype rheological cells are presented, also offering us the opportunity to review and describe methods of foam production. On the scientific side, we present results of different types of capillary drainage (or imbibition) experiments, based on light scattering measurements. These experiments, performed for the first time on 3D foams with controlled bubble size, surface chemistry and liquid injection rates, are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions.