ABSTRACT

In diffusion-controlled adsorption models, one assumes that there is no activation energy barrier to the transfer of surfactant molecules between the subsurface and the surface [85]. Thus diffusion is the only mechanism needed in establishing adsorption equilibrium. The time required for the molecules to transfer from the bulk to the subsurface is much longer than the time required for equilibration between the surface and the subsurface. On the contrary, if the adsorption or desorption rate at the interface is slow or comparable to the diffusion rate, the adsorption process is significant. This model is called the mixed-kinetic adsorption model. This condition may depend not only on the properties of the system but also on the diffusion length and possibly on convection conditions. The diffusion-controlled model of Eqs. (3) and (4) have been given by Fainerman et al. [86, 87].