ABSTRACT
Investigations on foam films stabilized by macromolecules dates back several decades ago with the pioneering works of Musselwhite and Kitchener and Yampolskaya et al. on protein foam films, and of Lyklema and van Vliet on polymer foam films. Adsorbing polymers produce interfacial layers with various architectures and thicknesses. The microinterferometric method was continuously involved into investigations on foam films stabilized by block copolymers, by charged and neutral graft copolymers, and by proteins. The degree of grafting is a major factor for the properties and stability of foam films stabilized by graft copolymers. Polyelectrolyte/surfactant mixtures in foams are of great relevance in many practical applications, like personal care or cleaning. Compared to the Newton black films (NBFs) obtained by the addition of salt or by the increase of surfactant concentration in the case of nonionic surfactants, these NBFs have a rather low stability.
