An Experimental Study on Bubble Growth in Laponite RD as Thixotropic Yield Material

The growth and release of the leading major bubble at the tip of a needle in the thixotropic yield material Laponite RD was different from subsequent minor bubbles. The gas injection experiments combined with high-speed camera were conducted. The results showed that the shape of the major bubbles transformed from an inverted carrot shape to an inverted teardrop shape, while the shape of the minor bubbles tended to be elliptical. In addition, the pressure of bubble emergence consisted of hydrostatic pressure, capillary pressure, and cracking pressure. The major and minor bubbles differed only in the cracking pressure. The pressure when the minor bubble detached could be estimated from the lateral hydrostatic pressure. It can be deduced from dimensionless numbers that buoyancy and viscous forces were, respectively, the main driving force and resistance of bubble growth. The yield stress of Laponite RD and inertial force at the initial moment resulted in distinctive behavior of the major bubble. In addition to the viscosity resistance, surface tension, and hydrostatic pressure had a non-negligible influence on minor bubbles and still accounted for 10–20% of the total resistance in the later stage but less than 5% in major bubble growth.