Rheology of Wormlike Micellar Gels Formed By Long-Chained Zwitterionic Surfactants

TL;DR

This study characterizes the rheological behavior of a long-chained zwitterionic surfactant forming wormlike micellar gels, revealing unique dynamics such as shear-induced fracture and shear banding, enhancing understanding of this novel micellar system.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed rheological analysis of a zwitterionic wormlike micellar gel, highlighting its unique properties and dynamic behaviors compared to conventional micellar systems.

Findings

Identification of shear-induced fracture in the gel

Observation of shear-banding phenomena

Distinct rheological behavior from traditional micellar solutions

Abstract

Long-chained surfactant solutions have found widespread use in the oil and gas industry due to a host of attractive properties. In this paper, we characterize one such commercially used viscoelastic surfactant that forms a wormlike micellar gel at room temperature and a viscoelastic solution at higher temperatures. We probe both states by conducting linear and nonlinear rheological tests and analyze their behaviour under the framework of micellar rheology. Our study outlines departure from behaviour exhibited by more conventional micellar systems and uncovers interesting dynamics like shear-induced fracture and possible shear-banding in these materials. In doing so we provide a detailed understanding of a novel class of wormlike micellar solutions