An Asymptotic Theory for the Re-Equilibration of a Micellar Surfactant Solution.

Journal article

Micellar surfactant solutions are characterized by a distribution of aggregates made up predominantly of premicellar aggregates (monomers, dimers, trimers, etc.) and a region of proper micelles close to the peak aggregation number, connected by an intermediate region containing a very low concentration of aggregates. Such a distribution gives rise to a distinct two-timescale reequilibration following a system dilution, known as the t1 and t2 processes, whose dynamics may be described by the Becker-Döring equations. We use a continuum version of these equations to develop a reduced asymptotic description that elucidates the behavior during each of these processes.© 2012 Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics.

Authors: Griffiths, I; Bain, C; Breward, C; Chapman, S; Howell, P

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: SIAM Journal of Applied Mathematics
• Volume: 72
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 201-215
• Publication date: 2012-01-01
• DOI: 10.1137/110842089
• EISSN: 1095-712X
• ISSN: 0036-1399
• Language: English
• Keywords: surfactant systems; asymptotic analysis; Becker-Doring equations; micellar kinetics