Terminal rise velocity, size distribution and stability of microbubble suspension

Dispersed bubbly flow plays an imperative role in the chemical, biochemical and food industries. In the present work, the physics of liquid and gas properties on motion of microbubble in various liquid media was enunciated. The size of microbubble and the distribution of microbubbles generated by the pressurised dissolution method in different liquid media is also examined. Experimental result shows that the terminal rise velocity of microbubble is significantly affected by liquid and gas properties. The stability of microbubble dispersion is analysed by the drainage mechanism. The stability of microbubble dispersions is also examined by using its electrical properties. Correlations are also developed to interpret the bubble size, half-life and drainage mechanism of microbubble. The present study may be useful for further understanding microbubble aided processes and developing them for industrial applications. © 2015 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.