Rheological behavior of mixed system of ionic liquid [C8mim]Br and sodium oleate in water

We report on the rheological behavior of wormlike micelles constructed by ionic liquid surfactant [C₈mim]Br (1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide) and anionic surfactant sodium oleate (NaOA) in aqueous solution. The effects of surfactant composition, total surfactant concentration, added salts, and temperature were investigated. The prevailing surfactant effect at lower concentration and the leading cosolvent effect at higher concentration of [C₈mim]Br may be the main reasons for appearance of well-established maximum in key rheological parameters with variation of surfactant composition and total surfactant concentration. The Cole-Cole plots demonstrate that the systems (total surfactant concentration falls within 0.17–0.35 mol·L^-1 and molar ratio 0.33≤R≤0.50) fit the Maxwell’s mechanical model as linear viscoelastic fluid. The addition of NaBr or sodium salicylate decreases significantly the viscosity and the relaxation time of the wormlike micelle solution but cannot change the value of plateau modulus G₀. The present system has low rheological tolerance to temperature. The increase of temperature decreases the average contour length and viscosity of wormlike micelles and thus strengthens the relaxation progress of diffusion and weakens the relaxation progress of reptation. Increasing the temperature also decreases the value of plateau modulus G₀ and shifts the minimum value of the loss modulus G^″_min to higher frequencies.