Linear and non linear rheology of a wormlike micellar system in presence of sodium tosylate

In this experimental work, we investigate the influence of an organic counterion, sodium tosylate, on the rheological properties of an aqueous solution of CTAB at the concentration of 0.05M. With this system we can clearly see shear thickening for small salt concentrations C _s and only shear thinning behavior at higher C _s characterized by a linear evolution of η=f(γ) in a log-log representation. In these evolutions it is only in a very small domain of concentrations of the salt (near C _s =0.035M) that we can observe a nearly constant plateau of the shear stress against shear rate. The values of σ₀ (characterizing the stress plateau), G ₀ (the plateau modulus) and τ_R (the relaxation time) obtained by dynamical rheological measurements, allow to compare experimental results obtained to predicted values of the theory of Cates corresponding to the occurrence of shear induced banding structures. Received: 22 July 1997 Accepted: 3 February 1998