The permeability of soap films to gases II. A simple mechanism of monolayer permeability

Abstract

It is generally assumed that permeation through insoluble monolayers is best described in terms of the energy-barrier theory. In this paper evidence is provided that transport of gases through soluble monolayers is governed by a different mechanism, namely, simple Fickean diffusion. Moreover, there are strong indications that diffusion actually takes place through aqueous pores between the surfactant molecules. These conclusions follow from an improved analysis of previously reported data on the permeability of extremely thin soap films to various gases.