@article { ISI:A1992HU55700054,
	title = {FLOW-INDUCED GELATION OF LIVING (MICELLAR) POLYMERS},
	journal = {JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS},
	volume = {96},
	year = {1992},
	month = {MAY 15},
	pages = {7710-7727},
	abstract = {We consider the effect of shear velocity gradients on the size (L) of rodlike micelles in dilute and semidilute solution. A kinetic equation is introduced for the time-dependent concentration of aggregates of length L, consisting of {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}bimolecular{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} combination processes L + L{\textquoteright} {\textendash}\&gt; (L + L{\textquoteright}) and {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}unimolecular{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} fragmentations L {\textendash}\&gt; L{\textquoteright} + (L - L{\textquoteright}). The former are described by a generalization (from spheres to rods) of the Smoluchowski mechanism for shear-induced coalescence of emulsions, and the latter by incorporating the tension-deformation effects due to flow. Steady-state solutions to the kinetic equation are obtained, with the corresponding mean micellar size (LBAR) evaluated as a function of the Peclet number P, i.e., the dimensionless ratio of flow rate-gamma and rotational diffusion coefficient D(r). For sufficiently dilute solutions, we find only a weak dependence of LBAR on P. In the semidilute regime, however, an apparent divergence in LBAR at P congruent-to 1 suggests a flow-induced first-order gelation phenomenon.},
	issn = {0021-9606},
	doi = {10.1063/1.462371},
	author = {BRUINSMA, R and Gelbart, W.M. and Benshaul, A.}
}
