The time-dependent shear-induced nonlinear viscosity effects of dilute surfactant solutions (CTAC/NaSal) at constant shear rate were tested by using the rheometer Couette cell. The apparent viscosity evolution curve can be divided into five stages: weak shear-thickening (Stage I), weak shear-thinning and plateau (Stage II), sharp shear-thickening (Stage III), oscillating adjustment (Stage IV), and rough plateau (Stage V). In Stage I, the stretching effects of shear flow lead to the weak increase in apparent viscosity at the inception of shearing. The apparent viscosity curve firstly decreases in Stage II and then levels off. The apparent viscosity plateau is caused by the forming and slipping of micellar lumps at the inner cylinder wall surface. Once the volume of lump exceeds a certain degree, the nucleation process of forming SIS is triggered, which is the beginning of Stage III and then the apparent viscosity increases sharply. The variations of apparent viscosity in adjusting period are rather complicated in Stage IV, and the variations mainly depend on the situation of SISs network. In Stage V, coupled with obvious oscillations, the apparent viscosity maintains a basically constant plateau value, indicating that the SISs network is fully developed and saturated at the corresponding shear rate.
Discussion: “Nonlinear Viscosity Effects in Slider Bearing Lubrication” (Ng, C. W., and Saibel, Edward, 1962, ASME J. Basic Eng., 84, pp. 192–195)