Alfredo Cervantes-Martínez

Bio: Alfredo Cervantes-Martínez is an academic researcher from Universidad de Sonora. The author has contributed to research in topics: Polymer adsorption & Sodium dodecyl sulfate. The author has an hindex of 2, co-authored 2 publications receiving 32 citations.

Foaming behaviour of polymer-surfactant solutions.

Abstract: We study the effect of a non-ionic amphiphilic polymer (PEG-100 stearate also called Myrj 59) on the foaming behaviour of aqueous solutions of an anionic surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate or SDS). The SDS concentration was kept fixed while the Myrj 59 concentration was varied. Measurements of foamability, surface tension and electrical conductivity were carried out. The results show two opposite effects depending on the polymer concentration: foamability is higher when the Myrj 59 concentration is low; however, it decreases considerably when the polymer concentration is increased. This behaviour is due to the polymer adsorption at the air/liquid interface at lower polymer concentrations, and to the formation of a polymer–surfactant complex in the bulk at higher concentrations. The results are confirmed by surface tension and electrical conductivity measurements, which are interpreted in terms of the microstructure of the polymer–surfactant solutions. The observed behaviour is due to the amphiphilic nature of the studied polymer. The increased hydrophobicity of Myrj 59, compared to that of water-soluble polymers like PEG or PEO, increases its 'reactivity' towards SDS, i.e. the strength of its interaction with this anionic surfactant. Our results show that hydrophobically modified polymers have potential applications as additives in order to control the foaming properties of surfactant solutions.

Effect of cosurfactant on the free-drainage regime of aqueous foams.

Abstract: We report results of drainage in aqueous foams of small bubble size D (D = 180 µm) prepared with SDS-dodecanol solutions. We have performed free-drainage experiments in which local drainage rates are measured by electrical conductivity and by light scattering techniques. We have investigated the role of the surfactant–cosurfactant mass ratio on the drainage regime. The results confirm that a drainage regime corresponding to a high surface mobility can indeed be found for such small bubbles, and show that an increase in the cosurfactant content can induce a transition to a low surface mobility drainage regime. We show that the transition is not linked to variations of the bulk properties, but rather to variations of the interfacial properties. However, the results show that the added amount of dodecanol to trigger the transition is quite high, evidencing that the relevant control parameter for drainage regimes includes both bubble size and interfacial contributions.

Protocol for Studying Aqueous Foams Stabilized by Surfactant Mixtures

Abstract: Even though foams have been the subject of intensive investigations over the last decades, many important questions related to their properties remain open. This concerns in particular foams which are stabilized by mixtures of surfactants. The present study deals with the fundamental question: which are the important parameters one needs to consider if one wants to characterize foams properly? We give an answer to this question by providing a measuring protocol which we apply to well-known surfactant systems. The surfactants of choice are the two non-ionic surfactants n-dodecyl-β-d-maltoside (β-C12G2) and hexaethyleneglycol monododecyl ether (C12E6) as well as their 1:1 mixture. Following the suggested protocol, we generated data which allow discussion of the influence of the surfactant structure and of the composition on the time evolution of the foam volume, the liquid fraction, the bubble size and the bubble size distribution. This paper shows that different foam properties can be assigned to different surfactant structures, which is the crucial point if one wants to tailor-make surfactants for specific applications.

β-Lactoglobulin aggregates in foam films: Effect of the concentration and size of the protein aggregates

Abstract: Single foam films made from mixtures of nonaggregated proteins and protein aggregates have been studied using a thin film balance apparatus. Their features (heterogeneity, stability and resistance to pressure change) are dependent on the aggregate size and on the ratio between nonaggregated proteins and protein aggregates. A phase diagram of these foam films has been drawn and a correlation of the structural properties of foam film and stability of real foams has been found. In particular, the formation of a gel-like network within the foam film coincides with the stability of the corresponding 3-D foams.