THE EFFECT OF ELECTROLYTES ON BUBBLE COALESCENCE IN WATER

A series of common electrolytes were found either to reduce the rate of bubble coalescence in water or to have no effect. For a range of cations and anions, a system of combining rules emerges that characterizes the behavior of all the salts studied. The specific effects of electrolytes on bubble coalescence may be related to their effect on water structure and hence the hydrophobic interaction. The phenomenon may have applications in various fields, including decompression sickness, hydrophobic chromatography, and possibly evolution.