title: Micellization and relaxation in solution with spherical micelles via the discrete Becker-Döring equations at different total surfactant concentrations.
abstract: A numerical description of micellization and relaxation to an aggregate equilibrium in surfactant solution with nonionic spherical micelles has been developed on the basis of a discrete form of the Becker-Döring kinetic equations. Two different models for the monomer-aggregate attachment-detachment rates have been used, and it has been shown that the results are qualitatively the same. The full discrete spectrum of characteristic times of micellar relaxation and first relaxation modes in their dependence on equilibrium monomer concentration have been found with using the linearized form of the Becker-Döring kinetic equations. Overall time behavior of surfactant monomer and aggregate concentrations in micellization and relaxation at large initial deviations from final equilibrium has been studied with the help of nonlinearized discrete Becker-Döring kinetic equations. Comparison of the computed results with the analytical ones known in the limiting cases from solutions of the linearized and nonlinearized continuous Becker-Döring kinetic equation demonstrates general agreement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistical Physics, Faculty of Physics, St Petersburg State University, Ulyanovskaya 1, Petrodvoretz, St Petersburg 198504, Russia.
authors.forename: Ilya
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Babintsev
authors.forename: Loran
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Adzhemyan
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shchekin
mesh_terms: D007700:Kinetics; D008823:Micelles; D012996:Solutions; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D008823:Micelles; D012996:Solutions; D013501:Surface-Active Agents