Shear rheology and porous media flow of wormlike micelle solutions formed by mixtures of surfactants of opposite charge

The rheology of solutions of wormlike micelles formed by oppositely charged surfactant mixtures (cationic cetyl trimethylammonium p-toluene sulfonate, CTAT, and anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS), in the dilute and semi-dilute regimes, were studied under simple shear and porous media flows. Aqueous mixtures of CTAT and SDS formed homogeneous solutions for SDS/CTAT molar ratios below 0.12. Solutions of mixtures exhibited a strong synergistic effect in shear viscosity, especially in the semi-dilute regime with respect to wormlike micelles, reaching a four order of magnitude increase in the zero-shear rate viscosity for solutions with 20 mM CTAT. Oscillatory shear results demonstrated that the microstructure of CTAT wormlike micelles is sensitive to SDS addition. The cross-over relaxation times of wormlike micelles of 20 mM CTAT solutions increased by three orders of magnitude with the addition of up to 2 mM of SDS, and the solutions became increasingly elastic. The shear thickening process observed in shear rheology became more pronounced in porous media flow due to the formation of stronger cooperative structures induced by the extensional component of the flow.     

Rheological Properties of Anionic Surfactant Solutions in the Presence of Al3+ Counterion

Aqueous solutions of ionic surfactants with strongly binding counterions exhibit wormlike or network properties. The properties of anionic micelles of sodium dodecyltrioxyethylene sulfate (AES) in the presence of multivalent counterion Al³⁺ were investigated by dynamic rheological methods. The steady-shear viscosity and stress, the zero-shear viscosity, the complex viscosity, and the dynamic shear modulus have been determined as a function of the surfactant and salt concentrations. Some interesting and noticeable results have been obtained, which can express the micellar growth and structure. The formation of wormlike micelles or network structure in surfactant solutions becomes much easier with increasing surfactant and salt concentrations. The Cox-Merz rule and the Cole-Cole plot are not applicable perfectly to the systems studied. The nonlinear viscoelasticity and non-Newtonian behavior can be found in all solutions according to the comparison with the simple Maxwell model. The technique of freeze-fracture transmission electron microscopy (FF-TEM) was also applied to confirm the formation of these interesting structures.     

Structure/performance relationships in long chain dimethylamine oxide/sodium dodecylsulfate surfactant mixtures

Dramatic differences in the structure of mixed micelles of long chain amine oxides and sodium dodecylsulfate are noted as a function of composition. In the L₁ micellar pseudophase, a sphere-to-rod transition driven by ion-dipole interactions between the dissimilar headgroups leads to synergisms in aqueous solution thickening, Ross-Miles foaming, and nonpolar oil solubilization. For example, an astounding seven orders of magnitude increase in the zero shear viscosity and viscoelastic properties are observed at a single total surfactant concentration. The sphere-to-rod transition can be viewed in FT-IR by examining both the CH₂ stretching for the methylene tails, and the S-O stretching modes for the sulfate headgroups.     

Rheology and microstructure studies of SDS/CTAB/H2O system

Phase behavior of mixed sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) aqueous solution was studied. The rheological properties and microstructure were investigated using a rheostat and freeze-fracture technique and are shown to be closely related to the phase behavior. Experimental investigations reveal two symmetrical aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) in the ternary phase diagram of SDS/CTAB/H₂O system. In the surfactant rich phase of ATPS or in the adjacent stoichiometric state of ATPS, the system has high viscosity because of its long range ordered structure. Lamellar phase was found in the high viscosity samples in which the cationic and anionic surfactant are in 1: 3 or 3: 1 stoichiometry. In addition, the viscosity has a tendency to increase when salt was added to the solution. The viscosity increase is due to the salt can screen the repulsion between different charged headgroups and thus reduces the effective size of surfactants and facilitates the spherical or rod likes micelles to be transformed to worm-like micelles which can form hexagonal or liquid crystal phases. Large-size salt ions like sodium sulfate (especially organic salt ions) have more significant effect on the surfactant solution viscosity. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

CHARACTERIZATION OF THE SUB-MICELLAR SPECIES IN MIXED SURFACTANT SOLUTIONS I: MIXTURES OF SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE AND AN ALKYL POLYETHOXY SULFATE

The formation of micelles and the composition and concentration of sub-micellar components of surfactant solutions was studied for sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), alkyl polyethoxy (average of 7 EO) sulfate (AEOS 7EO) and mixtures of these two anionic surfactants both above and below the critical micelle concentrations (c.m.c). Radiolabeled surfactant was added to the solutions to follow the concentration and identity of the components. To separate micelles from sub-micellar components, an Amicon microfiltration apparatus containing either a 2, 5, or 30 thousand molecular weight cut off membrane was used. Results using a hydrophobic fluorescent probe demonstrated minimal disruption of the micelles during separation. Separations for single surfactants showed breaks in the concentration curves at the c.m.c. The observed sub-micellar composition and concentration were evidence of non-ideal behavior. Concentration dependence and surfactant selectivity in micellization (the “micro c.m.c.”phenomena) is described. This previously undocumented behavior reveals that the compositions of micelles and the sub-micellar phase for mixed surfactant systems do not reflect the composition of the original solution mixture.     

Effect of added poly(oxyethylene)dodecyl ether on the phase and rheological behavior of wormlike micelles in aqueous SDS solutions

Upon the addition of a short EO chain nonionic surfactant, poly(oxyethylene) dodecyl ether (C12EOn), to dilute micellar solution of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) above a particular concentration, a sharp increase in viscosity occurs and a highly viscoelastic micellar solution is formed. The oscillatory-shear rheological behavior of the viscoselastic solutions can be described by the Maxwell model at low shear frequency and combined Maxwell-Rouse model at high shear frequency. This property is typical of wormlike micelles entangled to form a transient network. It is found that when C12EO4 in the mixed system is replaced by C12EO3 the micellar growth occurs more effectively. However, with the further decrease in EO chain length, phase separation occurs before a viscoelastic solution is formed. As a result, the maximum zero-shear viscosity is observed at an appropriate mixing fraction of surfactant in the SDS-C12EO3 system. We also investigated the micellar growth in the mixed surfactant systems by means of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). It was found from the SAXS data that the one-dimensional growth of micelles was obtained in all the SDS-C12EOn (n=0-4) aqueous solutions. In a short EO chain C12EOn system, the micelles grow faster at a low mixing fraction of nonionic surfactant.     

The aggregation of the sodium dodecyl sulfate –n - octanol–water system at low concentration

Micelle formation in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)–n-octanol mixtures was studied by several techniques and the results were interpreted using regular solution theory for mixed-micelle formation. Octanol was considered as a nonionic surfactant. The composition of micelles at the critical micelle concentration (cmc) was computed together with the interaction parameter and the activity coefficient of the components of the micelles. The fluorescence quenching technique with pyrene was employed to obtain the SDS and octanol aggregation numbers at the cmc. The results were in agreement with similar studies on other alcohol–SDS systems. At the cmc spherical, almost fully ionized micelles formed, while at a higher concentration there was a transition to anisometric (probably rodlike) micelles which pushed sodium counterions into their Stern double layer. Mixed anisometric micelles were more ionized than pure SDS micelles. When the octanol:SDS total ratio exceeded 0.85:1, an emulsion of octanol appeared in equilibrium with the micelles. Received: 23 December 1998 Accepted in revised form: 3 March 1999     

Rheological properties of the aqueous mixtures of cationic-anionic surfactants

The rheological properties of the aqueous mixtures of cationic-anionic surfactants, both in single-phase systems and in aqueous two-phase systems, have been studied. Bizarre rheological properties —negative thixotropy, viscoelasticity and hihg viscosity of shear rate dependent at relatively low concentration — have been observed. An unusual viscosity change, that is, viscosity lowering with increasing concentration, was obtained. The negative thixotropy might be due to the existence of lamellar or sheet-like micelles, viscoelasticity might be induced by rodlike and lamellar or sheet-like micelles, the high viscosity might be a consequence of the formation of network by long rodlike micelles and the concentration-induced viscosity lowering could be interpreted in terms of the decrease of micellar dimensions with concentration.     

Effects of interactions on the formation of mixed micelles of 1,2-diheptanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine with sodium dodecyl sulfate and dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide

Mixed micelles of the phospholipid 1,2-diheptanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DHPC) with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) in aqueous solutions and the effects of interactions between the components were studied by fluorescence and NMR measurements. The regular solution theory (RST) was applied to analyze the experimental critical micelle concentration values determined from the fluorescence spectra of pyrene in the mixed micelles. Negative values for the interaction parameter (beta12) were obtained for both DHPC + SDS and DHPC + DTAB mixtures, with the value being more negative in the former case. The negative beta12 values for the two systems imply that the interaction between the phospholipid and the two ionic surfactants is attractive in nature, being more intense in the case of DHPC + SDS. The interaction parameter, beta12, varies with composition of the mixtures indicating changes in packing. The proton NMR shifts are quite different for the two systems and also vary with composition. An interpretation of these experimentally determined chemical shifts in terms of the degree of compactness attributed to electrostatic and steric interactions in the mixed micelle supports the conclusions derived from the fluorescence cmc experiments.     

Threadlike micelle formation of anionic surfactants in aqueous solution

We have investigated the formation of threadlike micelles consisting of anionic surfactants and certain additives in aqueous solution. Threadlike micelles long enough to be entangled with each other were formed in a clear aqueous solution of two anionic surfactants, sodium hexadecyl sulfate and sodium tetradecyl sulfate. These solutions also contained pentylammonium bromides or p-toluidine halides and exhibited remarkable viscoelasticity. Because the molar ratio of surfactants to cationic additives in these micelles seemed close to unity, they formed 1:1 stoichiometric complexes between surfactant anions and additive cations, as previously found in systems of cationic surfactants such as hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide and sodium salicylate. The viscoelastic behavior of these anionic threadlike micellar systems was adequately described by a simple Maxwell element with a single relaxation time and strength, as in many similar cationic systems.     

Interaction of Diphenylamine Diazonium Salt with Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate in Aqueous Solution

The interaction of diphenylamine-4-diazonium salt (DDS) with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in aqueous solution was investigated. The results show that in a 2.1-2.3 molar ratio of SDS/DDS, the solution viscosity increases suddenly to a thousand times the original and then drops rapidly as the ratio beyond the region. The dramatic increase in the viscosity was proposed to be due to aggregated micelles that form in solution due to the interaction of diphenylamine diazonium salt and micelles formed from SDS, and when further SDS was added drops rapidly, because the aggregated micelles were separated by the electrostatic repulsion force originated from the overfeeding of SDS. It is interesting that the viscosity of the solution is very susceptible to UV light, i.e., the increased viscosity decreases gradually when the solution was exposed under UV light because the irradiation decomposes the diazonium group. The influence of [SDS] and the ratio of SDS/DDS on the viscosity of the solution were also investigated. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.     

Rheology of hydrophobically modified polyacrylamide-co-poly(acrylic acid) on addition of surfactant and variation of solution pH

Constant shear and shear dependent viscosity measurements are reported in aqueous systems of co- and terpolymers of acrylamide (AM), N-n-alkylacrylamide (C10, C12, and C14 alkyl groups), and acrylic acid (AA) with added anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The results are presented as three-dimensional plots of viscosity vs surfactant concentration and pH at constant shear rate or viscosity vs shear rate and surfactant concentration at constant pH. For terpolymers incorporating AA, a strong viscosity maximum is observed at intermediate pH values (pH 4-6) where the AA groups are partially ionized and at SDS concentrations close to the critical micelle concentration. At high pH, all AA incorporating terpolymer solutions with SDS are strongly shear thinning, but at pH 3-4 the systems of terpolymers with SDS are strongly shear thickening at low shear, followed by a shear-thinning region at high shear. These results are explained in terms of surfactant-mediated network formation with polymer coil expansion and hydrogen bonding between partially ionized AA groups as additional factors.     

INTERACTIONS BETWEEN CATIONIC STARCH AND ANIONIC SURFACTANTS III RHEOLOGY AND STRUCTURE OF THE COMPLEX PHASE

This paper reports on studies of the rheological properties of cationic starch (CS)/ surfactant systems. The degree of substitution of the CS was 0.1 - 0.8. Surfactants investigated were sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), potassium octanoate (KOct), sodium decanoate (NaDe)potassium dodecanoate (KDod), sodium oleate (NaOl) and sodium erucate (NaEr). Aggregation of surfactant micelles with the polymer produces a hydrophobic and pseudoplastic gel-like complex phase with low water content and high viscosity. The rheological behavior of the gels is described by the Herschel-Bulkley model. In dilute aqueous solution the CS/surfactant aggregate structure resembles a randomly coiled polymer network, in which polymer molecules are linked by micelles. The rheological data for the gel are compatible with the assumption that the surfactants form liquid crystalline structures with the polymer anchored to the surfactant aggregates, as recently suggested for analogous systems. However, this conjecture needs to be corroborated by more direct determinations of the structure.     

Interaction of cationic monomer with sodium dodecyl sulfate in dilute aqueous solutions: ESR study

The effect of a cationic monomer (N,N,N,N-trimethyl[methacryloxyethyl]ammonium methyl sulfate) on the formation, structure, and local dynamics of associates resulted from the interaction of the monomer with sodium dodecyl sulfate in aqueous solutions was studied by ESR spectroscopy. In the presence of the monomer, micelles are formed at concentrations much lower than the CMC of the pure surfactant with the monomer molecules that form a condensed layer of counterions around a micelle of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The binding of surfactant micelles with the cationic monomer causes a significant decrease in the local molecular mobility of dodecyl sulfate ions.     

Rheology of branched wormlike micelles

The topology of self-assembled surfactant solutions includes varying degrees of micellar branching, ranging from linear wormlike micelles to a micellar network. Micellar branching acts as an effective attraction between micelles such that network condensation can lead to phase separation. Unlike chemical branching in polymers, micellar branches are labile. Movement of branches along a micelle contour has therefore been proposed as a mechanism of stress relaxation that leads to a reduction in the structural relaxation time and thus, the zero-shear viscosity. Branching is also thought to suppress flow alignment, and for lower levels of branching, may also suppress instabilities such as shear banding. The suppression of shear banding can lead to a lesser degree of shear-thinning in the apparent viscosity at higher shear rates, as well as a reduction in extensional thickening. However, for higher levels of branching, shear can induce branching for samples in proximity to such a phase transition, which can result in shear banding due to shear-induced phase separation. Recent modeling and simulations of the energetics of branching, as well as experiments on model systems, show that the reduction in zero-shear viscosity is due to micelle branching. Current research includes efforts to develop a more mechanistic, quantitative understanding of micellar branching and more generally, its effects on micellar solution rheology.     

Shear and extensional rheology of solutions of mixtures of poly(ethylene oxide) and anionic surfactants in ionic environments

Interactions between a high molecular weight poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) in aqueous solutions were investigated by shear and extensional rheometry. Results for mixtures between PEO and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) are also presented for comparison purposes. Addition of anionic surfactants to PEO solutions above the critical aggregation concentration (CAC), at which micellar aggregates attach to the polymer chain, results in an increase in shear viscosity due to PEO coil expansion, and a strengthening of interchain interactions. In extensional flows, these interactions result in a decrease of the critical shear rate for the onset of the characteristic extension thickening of the PEO solutions that is due to transient entanglements of polymer molecules. The relaxation times associated with these transient entanglements are not directly proportional to the shear viscosity of the solutions, but rather vary more rapidly with surfactant concentration. In the presence of an electrolyte, coil contraction results in lower shear viscosities and a decrease in the extension thickening effects at surfactant concentrations just beyond the CAC. The relaxation times associated with transient entanglement reach a minimum at the same surfactant concentration as the shear viscosity, which indicates that coil contraction is responsible for the observed effects in both types of flow. However, the increase in extensional-flow entanglement relaxation times is much more abrupt than the decrease in shear viscosity. All these results point to a greater sensitivity of extensional flows on the molecular conformation of PEO/surfactant complexes.     

Effect of Micelle Composition on Acidic Drugs Separation Behavior by Micellar Electrokinetic Capillary Chromatography

Micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MECC) is a branch of capillary electrophoretic techniques, in which surfactant micelles are added to the electrolyte solution as pseudostationary phase. Separation in MECC is based on electrophoretic mobilities of the analytes when partitioned into micelles1. In this work, four acidic drugs similar in structure with aryl carboxylic acid were separated by MECC. The effects of type of surfactant, such as anionic surfactant SDS, nonionic …     

Micellization and interaction of anionic and nonionic mixed surfactant systems in water

Interaction between binary surfactant mixtures containing anionic surfactants viz. sodium dodecyl sulphates (NaDS) and magnesium dodecyl sulphates (Mg(DS)₂) and a nonionic surfactants viz. dodecyl dodecapolyethylene glycol ether (C₁₂E₁₂) and dodecyl pentadecapolyethylene glycol ether (C₁₂E₁₅) in water at different mole fractions (0–1) were studied by surface tension, viscometry and dynamic light scattering (DLS) methods. The composition of mixed micelles and the interaction parameter, β evaluated from the CMC data obtained by surface tension for different systems using Rubingh's theory were discussed. Activity coefficient (f₁ and f₂) of metal dodecyl sulphates (MDS)/C₁₂E_m (m = 12, 15) mixed surfactant systems were evaluated, which shows extent of ideality of individual surfactant in mixed system. The estimated interaction parameter indicates an overall attractive interaction in the mixed micelles, which is predominant for NaDS as compared to Mg(DS)₂. Counter ion valency has specific effect on the mixed micelles, as Mg(DS)₂ has less interaction with nonionic surfactants in comparison to NaDS due to strong condensation of counter ion. The stability factors for mixed micelles were also discussed by Maeda's approach, which was justified on the basis of steric factor due to difference in head group of nonionic surfactant. DLS measurements and viscosity data reveals the synergism in mixed micelles, showing typical viscosity trends and linearity in sizes were observed.     

Synergistic sphere-to-rod micelle transition in mixed solutions of sodium dodecyl sulfate and cocoamidopropyl betaine

Static and dynamic light scattering experiments show that the mixed micelles of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and cocoamidopropyl betaine (CAPB) undergo a sphere-to-rod transition at unexpectedly low total surfactant concentrations, about 10 mM. The lowest transition concentration is observed at molar fraction 0.8 of CAPB in the surfactant mixture. The transition brings about a sharp increase in the viscosity of the respective surfactant solutions due to the growth of rodlike micelles. Parallel experiments with mixed solutions of CAPB and sodium laureth sulfate (sodium dodecyl-trioxyethylene sulfate, SDP3S) showed that the sphere-to-rod transition in SDP3S/CAPB mixtures occurs at higher surfactant concentrations, above 40 mM. The observed difference in the transition concentrations for SDS and SDP3S can be explained by the bulkier SDP3S headgroup. The latter should lead to larger mean area per molecule in the micelles containing SDP3S and, hence, to smaller spontaneous radius of curvature of the micelles (i.e., less favored transition from spherical to rodlike micelles). The static light scattering data are used to determine the mean aggregation number and the effective size of the spherical mixed SDS/CAPB micelles. From the dependence of the aggregation number on the surfactant concentration, the mean energy for transfer of a surfactant molecule from a spherical into a rodlike micelle is estimated.     

Micelles of SDS Surfactants in Concentrated NaCl Solutions

We investigated the aggregation behavior of rod-like micelles of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in concentrated NaCl solution by quasi-elastic light scattering (QLS) and viscosity measurement over a range of temperature (25 °C to 50 °C) and NaCl concentration. The reduced viscosity of aqueous SDS in the presence of NaCl has been measured by an Ubbelohde-type capillary viscometer. We show mean hydrodynamic radius of micelles can be determined from viscosity data. We also determined mean hydrodynamic radius using quasi-elastic light scattering. Micellar size decreases with increasing temperature, whereas it increases with increasing ionic strength. The results of viscosity and dynamic light-scattering measurements are interpreted as the extension of length of rod-like micelles. We compare viscosity and light scattering experimental results.