Surfactant-polymer interactions in soap films

We present a preliminary account of an experimental study of the influence of nonionic polymers on the draining process and thickness of freely suspended vertical soap films. We studied films of both cationic and anionic surfactants. While the presence of a polymer leads to a monotonous reduction in thickness with concentration in the former case, the behavior in the latter is very different: an increase in polymer concentration leads to an increase in thickness of black films and to their eventual loss of stability through disruption of micellar stratification.