P. Boltenhagen et al., OBSERVATION OF BULK PHASE-SEPARATION AND COEXISTENCE IN A SHEARED MICELLAR SOLUTION, Physical review letters, 79(12), 1997, pp. 2359-2362
We observe a shear-flow-induced phase transition in wormlike micelle s
olutions which depends on whether the applied stress or the applied sh
ear rate is held constant. When the shear stress is held constant, the
system macroscopically phase separates into two coexisting phases wit
h a single stable interface between them. By contrast, when the shear
rate is held constant, the system still undergoes a phase transition,
but the steady states are homogeneous and no coexistence is observed.
This leads to dramatically different rheological behavior and unusual
long-lived metastable states.