ON THE GENERALIZED THEORY OF BILAYER FILM RUPTURE

At present, two models of bilayer film rupture have been developed. In Derjaguin et al.'s papers, the bilayer film rupture is interpreted as the homogeneous boiling of a two-dimensional, tensioned, defectless v iscous liquid. In Kashchiev and Exerowa's paper, the bilayer film rupt ure is interpreted as the homogeneous condensation of a two-dimensiona l, supersaturated gas of vacancies whose quasi-crystalline carrier is the bilayer film. The present work suggests a general approach to the description of the bilayer film rupture, combining both concepts; name ly, the bilayer film is considered a two-dimensional, viscous, nonvola tile liquid gasified by vacancies. In this case, the hole nucleation k inetics depends simultaneously on two physically different mechanisms- ''tension'' and ''vacancies.'' A general expression for the probabilit y of the critical hole formation on the present film area per second h as been derived by solving a steady-state equation of the directed dif fusion of macroholes along the axis of their sizes. The characteristic sizes and times of the rupture process, as well as their different ki netic modes and limit cases, have been investigated in detail. (C) 198 8 Academic Press, Inc.