Formation of the shear-induced state in dilute cationic surfactant solutions

In cationic surfactant solutions a change of state occurs due to mechanical stresses. In the dilute regime of rodlike micelles the formation of a so-called Shear-Induced State (SIS) occurs above a critical shear rate. In this context dilute means that there is no sterical interaction between rodlike micelles, the solution is below the overlap concentration. Employing a mathematical model, it is shown that aggregation forces are weak compared to hydrodynamic forces. The mathematical formulation is based on a model of Israelachvili which describes the chemical potential of micelles. Hydrodynamic forces are calculated with a rigid-dumbbell model. SIS formation can be explained by the destruction of rodlike micelles.