Antibubble lifetime: Influence of the bulk viscosity and of the surface modulus of the mixture

Lifetime of antibubbles has been measured for different liquid mixtures.The life duration of an antibubble is governed by the air drainage from the bottom to the top of the antibubble. We show that their lifetime is influenced by both bulk and surface properties of the liquid mixture used to create the antibubble. When the viscosity is increased, the stability of the antibubbles during the first seconds of their life is enhanced. By changing the surface modulus by a factor 100, the mean antibubble lifetime is doubled. Surfactants can affect the mobility of the film surface and, thereby, the rate of air film thinning. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.