Theoretical analysis of the dissolution of multi-component gas bubbles

Abstract

Numerical methods have been developed to compute accurately the behaviour of multi-component gas bubbles which either grow or dissolve in conditions of spherical symmetry. Examples are given which show several interesting features of the behaviour that might be expected of bubbles in glass melts but lack of reliable data makes it difficult to give accurate predictions concerning refining. Low levels of impurity initially present in the bubble or dissolved in the melt can have very important effects on time to dissolve. Two simple criteria are given which allow one to determine first, whether a bubble wih initially grow or shrink and second, whether it will in the end dissolve or grow indefinitely. It is shown that few simple approximations are generally useful.