Beers drinkers might be able to enjoy a pint where the head lasts all the way to the bottom of the pint glass, according to the findings.
The recently published study solved a long-standing mystery related to the lifetime of foams.
The researchers from the University of Manchester in UK used a nuclear reactor to fire neutrons at fluids to assess their foaming qualities.
"Just like when we see light reflecting off a shiny object and our brains help us identify it from its appearance, when neutrons reflect up off a liquid they are fired at we can use a computer to reveal crucial information about its surface," said study lead researcher.
"The difference is that the information is on a molecular level that we cannot see with our eyes," he added.
This could be useful for the development of a range of products that improve the creamy topping on a flat white coffee, the head on a pint of beer, shampoos we use every day, firefighting foams or even oil absorbent foams used to tackle environmental disasters, according to the research.
The research team studied mixtures containing surfactant – a compound that lowers surface tension – and a polymer – used in shampoos – to come up with a new way of understanding the samples that could help product developers formulate the ideal foam.
The technology could improve the formulation of detergents used in washing machines where the production of foams is undesirable.
And it could also be used to develop more effective products to clean up our oceans by improving the action of oil slick cleaning detergents or potentially even save lives by making fire-fighting foam more effective.
"For decades scientists have tried to get a handle on how to control reliably the lifetime and stability of foams made from liquids that contain mixed additives," researchers said.
While the behaviour of foams made up with just one additive is quite well understood. As soon as mixtures like those used in products were studied the results from research studies failed to paint a consistent picture.
"This is important, as some products benefit from foams that are ultra-stable and others from foams that are very unstable," researchers further added.
The scientists got to grips with the problem by studying the building blocks of the bubbles themselves, known as foam films.