Surfactant gels

Gel-like systems containing surfactants either in polar or in nonpolar solvents consist of cubic phases of globular micelles, of lamellar phases with vesicles, of networks of rod-like micelles or of polymers which are cross-linked by surfactant molecules. Recent advances in the understanding of the rheological properties of gel-like systems involve models that have been developed to allow a qualitative and, in some cases, a quantitative description of the systems and their viscoelastic properties.