Deducing the Relation between Viscosity and Oil-Induced Structural Changes of Viscoelastic Surfactants Using a Kinetic Approach

J Phys Chem B. 2021 Jun 17;125(23):6306-6314. doi: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c00922. Epub 2021 Jun 2.

Abstract

The present study relates viscosity reduction with time of a wormlike micellar solution to the micellar transitions that occur with time in the presence of three n-alkanes, namely, n-decane, n-dodecane, and n-hexadecane. Steady-shear rheology and small-angle X-ray scattering were used to deduce the relationship. The effect of n-alkane concentration was tested only with n-decane. There were at most three stages of viscosity reduction, which appeared in the following order: (i) the rising viscosity stage, (ii) the fast viscosity reduction stage, and (iii) the low-viscosity stage. The stages and rates of viscosity transition depended on the type of micelles present and the degree of micelle entanglement. Moreover, the rate of transition increased when the n-alkane concentration was increased and when the n-alkane molecular mass was reduced. n-Hexadecane induced only the first two stages of transition at a slower rate compared to the other oils.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Micelles
  • Oils*
  • Rheology
  • Surface-Active Agents*
  • Viscosity

Substances

  • Micelles
  • Oils
  • Surface-Active Agents