Domain shape relaxation and local viscosity in stratifying foam films.

We studied the dynamics of two different types of domain shape relaxation in a stratifying foam film composed of an anionic polymer and cationic surfactant. Those films thin in stepwise fashion: circular domains of lower film thickness are formed, expand and coalesce until they cover the whole film surface. We found that the shape relaxation of coalescing domains is governed only by 2D dissipation, and the measurement of the time scales allows to determine the ratio between the driving force (line tension) and local film viscosity. Further, we analyzed the withdrawal of stripes and modeled it by a moving disc pulled by an external force. Here, 3D dissipation can not be neglected (Stokes paradox) and the equilibrium velocity depends logarithmically on the viscosity of the surrounding 3D air. The evaluation of both kinds of relaxation events yields the orders of magnitude of film viscosity and line tension. For the investigated system we found that the film viscosity is at least 30 times larger than the bulk viscosity, which can be explained by the local molecular ordering and strong interactions with film surfaces.