Evaluation of Rheological Behavior and Microstructure of Sodium N-Methyl-N-oleyl Taurate Worm-Like Micelles in Aqueous Salt Solution

Rheological properties of micellar solutions of anionic surfactant―sodium N-methyl-N-oleyl taurate―were examined. In the condition of semidiluted solution the existence of two modes is detected, one of which corresponds to indissoluble micellar chains and the other―to “living” chains, multiply breaking in the process of reptation. It was testified that in the region of “living” chains rheological properties of micellar solutions of anionic surfactant are well described by the Maxwell model with one relaxation time. Using diffusing wave spectroscopy, characteristic lengths in wormlike micelles composed of sodium N-methyl-N-oleyl taurate were determined. It was shown that the average contour length of micelles increases with surfactant concentration, reaching two micrometers.