Slow bubble growth and dissolution in a viscoelastic fluid

A simple equation is derived for the time dependence of the bubble radius for the diffusion-induced slow growth or dissolution of a spherical gas bubble in a viscoelastic fluid of infinite extent. The constitutive equation for a first-order fluid and a surface–volume perturbation scheme are used to develop the solution, and the effect of viscosity level and elasticity on the bubble dynamics is considered. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 67:2093–2103, 1998