Light-scattering study of fatty acid monolayers

Abstract

The viscoelasticity of myristic acid monolayers has been investigated through light-scattering techniques. The authors obtain information on the modulus of compressibility, and dilational surface viscosity. The existence of a relaxation phenomenon associated with monolayer vertical motion has been observed. The authors have measured a new surface viscosity coefficient, associated with this effect. A comparison is made between these data and other light-scattering experiments on myristic acid monolayers by Byrne and Earnshaw (1979), who do not take this viscosity into account.