Real-Time Observation of Liquid Foam Dynamics: Integrating Fluorescence Microscopy into Rheological Measurements

Aerated materials are interesting for the construction industry as they combine controlled properties (mechanical, isolation, etc.) with lightness and lower carbon footprints. Such materials are intrinsically multiscale, from the microstructure of the solidifying material, to the bubbles and the bulk foam. To understand their properties, we need methods that capture both the structural response and, in our case, the mechanical properties. We propose to build a setup to visualise the structural evolution of a foamed material under stress by combining microscopy (bright field or fluorescence) with rheology.

We will thus be able to follow the local foam structure during solidification and shear. The multiscale characterization will give deeper insight into the link between local structure and material properties, where our initial focus is on foams where bubble capillarity and matrix plasticity have recently been shown to result in unusual foam structures. The development will be carried out within the SIMM rheology platform, through which it will be naturally available to the wider community.