PRess/PD2P: Fascinating Foam - Diverse Applications, Unexpected Properties, and Characterization Challenges - Sep. 2009

SAND Number: SAND2010-1888P Presenter: Jaime M. Kropka Postdoctoral Professional Development Program (PD2P) Foam pervades our everyday lives: we use it to bathe and shave, it floats atop our beer, cappuccino and pie, and it can even infect our bodies in the form of viruses. Although we are able to manipulate foam in these and many other common practices, there is still much we do not know about this fascinatingly complex material. In this talk, some of the intriguing aspects of foam, which could not be predicted based on its constituent components, will be discussed. Some challenging aspects of foam characterization, which have impeded the development of a thorough understanding of the material despite over a century of investigations, will also be presented. Despite these challenges, there are some known aspects of foams and these will be outlined along with how today’s modern tools are being utilized to tell us more about foam structure and dynamics. A brief introduction to Sandia’s interest in foams will then be given, and some of the current research we are conducting to further those interests will be discussed. This work is focused on the preparation of “model” organic foams for use in developing an understanding of how to tune their stability and rheological response. Finally, physical and chemical methods to stabilize the foam will be described and possible new directions for the work will be presented.

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