FLOW-INDUCED GELATION OF RODLIKE MICELLES

We study the dynamics of self-assembling rodlike micelles under flow. We assume simple reaction kinetics in which two micelles can fuse only if they are collinear. This provides a positive feedback between micellar alignment and growth, which we study in the regime where micelle-micelle reactions are frequent on the time scale of rotational diffusion. We predict under elongational flow a second-order transition at a critical flow rate, above which a certain fraction of the material forms an aligned -gel, phase of extremely long rods. © 1990 IOP Publishing Ltd.