Thermal expansivity for sI and sII clathrate hydrates

Knowledge of thermal expansivity can aid in the understanding of both microscopic and macroscopic behavior of clathrate hydrates. Diffraction studies have shown that hydrate volume changes significantly (as much as 1.5% over 50 K) as a function of temperature. It has been demonstrated previously via statistical mechanics that a minor change in hydrate volume (e.g., a 1.5% change in volume or 0.5% change in lattice parameter) can lead to a major change in the predicted hydrate formation pressure (e.g., >15% at >100 MPa for methane). Because of this sensitivity, hydrate thermal expansivity measurements, for both Structures I and II with various guests, are needed help quantify volume distortions in hydrate lattices to ensure accurate hydrate phase equilibria predictions. In addition to macroscopic phase equilibria, the thermal expansion of different hydrates can give information about the interactions between the guest molecules and the host lattice. In this work, the hydrate lattice parameters for four Structure I (C2H6, CO2, 47% C2H6 + 53% CO2, and 85% CH4 + 15% CO2) and seven Structure II (C3H8, 60% CH4 + 40% C3H8, 30% C2H6 + 70% C3H8, 18% CO2 + 82% C3H8, 87.6% CH4 + 12.4% i-C4H10, 95% CH4 + 5% C5H10O, and a natural gas mixture) systems were measured as a function of temperature. The lattice parameter measurements were combined with existing literature values. Both sI and sII hydrates, with a few exceptions, had a common thermal expansivity, independent of hydrate guest. Many guest-dependent correlations for linear thermal expansivity have been proposed. However, we present two guest-independent, structure-dependent correlations for sI and sII lattices, which have been developed to express the normalized hydrate lattice parameters (and therefore volume) as a function of temperature.     

Structures of hydrocarbon hydrates during formation with and without inhibitors

The formation of hydrates from a methane-ethane-propane mixture is more complex than with single gases. Using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and high-pressure powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), we have investigated the structural properties of natural gas hydrates crystallized in the presence of kinetic hydrate inhibitors (KHIs), two commercial inhibitors and two biological ice inhibitors, or antifreeze proteins (AFPs). NMR analyses indicated that hydrate cage occupancy was at near saturation for controls and most inhibitor types. Some exceptions were found in systems containing a new commercial KHI (HIW85281) and a recombinant plant AFP, suggesting that these two inhibitors could impact the kinetics of cavity formation. NMR analysis confirmed that the hydrate composition varies during crystal growth by kinetic effects. Strikingly, the coexistence of both structures I (sI) and II (sII) were observed in NMR spectra and PXRD profiles. It is suggested that sI phases may form more readily from liquid water. Real time PXRD monitoring showed that sI hydrates were less stable than sII crystals, and there was a conversion to the stable phase over time. Both commercial KHIs and AFPs had an impact on hydrate metastability, but transient sI PXRD intensity profiles indicated significantly different modes of interaction with the various inhibitors and the natural gas hydrate system.     

Phase equilibrium measurements and crystallographic analyses on structure-H type gas hydrate formed from the CH4-CO2-neohexane-water system

Phase equilibrium conditions and the crystallographic properties of structure-H type gas hydrates containing various amounts of methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), neohexane (2,2-dimethylbutane; NH), and liquid water were investigated. When the CH4 concentration was as high as approximately 70%, the phase equilibrium pressure of the structure-H hydrate, which included NH, was about 1 MPa lower at a given temperature than that of the structure-I hydrate with the same composition (except for a lack of NH). However, as the CO2 concentration increased, the pressure difference between the structures became smaller and, at CO2 concentrations below 50%, the phase equilibrium line for the structure-H hydrate crossed that for the structure I. This cross point occurred at a lower temperature at higher CO2 concentration. Extrapolating this relation between the cross point and the CO2 concentration to 100% CO2 suggests that the cross-point temperature would be far below 273.2 K. It is then difficult to form structure-H hydrates in the CO2-NH-liquid water system. To examine the structure, guest composition, and formation process of structure-H hydrates at various CH4-CO2 compositions, we used the methods of Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and gas chromatography. Raman spectroscopic analyses indicated that the CH4 molecules were found to occupy both 5(12) and 4(3)5(6)6(3) cages, but they preferably occupied only the 5(12) cages. On the other hand, the CO2 molecules appeared to be trapped only in the 4(3)5(6)6(3) cages. Thus, the CO2 molecules aided the formation of structure-H hydrates even though they reduced the stability of that structure. This encaged condition of guest molecules was also compared with the theoretical calculations. In the batch-type reactor, this process may cause the fractionation of the remaining vapor composition in the opposite sense as that for CH4-CO2 hydrate (structure-I), and thus may result in an alternating formation of structure-H hydrates and structure-I in the same batch-type reactor.     

Energy-efficient methods for production methane from natural gas hydrates

Gas hydrates now are expected to be one of the most important future unconventional energy resources. In this paper, researches on gas hydrate exploitation in laboratory and field were reviewed and discussed from the aspects of energy efficiency. Different exploiting methods and different types of hydrate reservoir were selected to study their effects on energy efficiencies. Both laboratory studies and field tests have shown that the improved technologies can help to increase efficiency for gas hydrate exploitation. And it also showed the trend that gas hydrate exploitation started to change from permafrost to marine. Energy efficiency ratio(EER) and energy return on energy invested(EROI) were introduced as an indicator of efficiency for natural gas hydrate exploitation. An energy-efficient hydrate production process, called "Hydrate Chain Energy System(HCES)", including treatment of flue gas, replacement of CH4 with CO2, separation of CO2 from CH4, and storage and transportation of CH4 in hydrate form, was proposed for future natural gas hydrate exploitation.In the meanwhile, some problems, such as mechanism of CO2 replacement, mechanism of CO2 separation,CH4 storage and transportation are also needed to be solved for increasing the energy efficiency of gas hydrate exploitation.     

Structure transition and tuning pattern in the double (tetramethylammonium hydroxide + gaseous guests) clathrate hydrates

In this study, we present an extraordinary structural transition accompanying the occurrence of more than two coexisting clathrate hydrate phases in the double (CH4 + tetramethylammonium hydroxide (Me(4)NOH)) and (H2 + Me(4)NOH) ionic clathrate hydrates using solid-state NMR spectroscopy (high-powered decoupling and CP/MAS) and powder X-ray diffraction. It was confirmed that structure-I (sI) and structure-II (sII) hydrates coexist as the water concentration increases. In the Me(4)NOH-depleted region, the unique tuning phenomenon was first observed at a chemical shift of -8.4 ppm where relatively small gaseous CH4 molecules partly occupy the sII large cages (sII-L), pulling out large cationic Me(4)N+ that is considered to be strongly bound with the surrounding host lattices. Moreover, we note that, while pure Me(4)NOH.16H(2)O clathrate hydrates melted at 249 K under atmospheric pressure conditions, the double (CH4 + Me(4)NOH) clathrate hydrate maintained a solid state up to approximately 283 K under 120 bar of CH4 with a conductivity of 0.065 S cm(-1), suggesting its potential use as a solid electrolyte. The present results indicate that ionic contributions must be taken into account for ionic clathrate hydrate systems because of their distinctive guest dynamic behavior and structural patterns. In particular, microscopic analyses of ionic clathrate hydrates for identifying physicochemical characteristics are expected to provide new insights into inclusion chemistry.     

Molecular dynamics simulations for the growth of CH_4-CO_2 mixed hydrate

Molecular dynamics simulations are performed to study the growth mechanism of CH4-CO2 mixed hydrate in xCO2= 75%, xCO2= 50%, and xCO2= 25% systems at T = 250 K, 255 K and 260 K, respectively. Our simulation results show that the growth rate of CH4-CO2 mixed hydrate increases as the CO2 concentration in the initial solution phase increases and the temperature decreases. Via hydrate formation, the composition of CO2 in hydrate phase is higher than that in initial solution phase and the encaging capacity of CO2 in hydrates increases with the decrease in temperature. By analysis of the cage occupancy ratio of CH4 molecules and CO2 molecules in large cages to small cages, we find that CO2 molecules are preferably encaged into the large cages of the hydrate crystal as compared with CH4 molecules. Interestingly, CH4 molecules and CO2 molecules frequently replace with each other in some particular cage sites adjacent to hydrate/solution interface during the crystal growth process. These two species of guest molecules eventually act to stabilize the newly formed hydrates, with CO2 molecules occupying large cages and CH4 molecules occupying small cages in hydrate.     

Molecular dynamics simulations for the growth of CH4-CO2 mixed hydrate

Molecular dynamics simulations are performed to study the growth mechanism of CH4-CO2 mixed hydrate in xco2 = 75%, xco2 = 50%, and zco2 = 25% systems at T = 250 K, 255 K and 260 K, respectively. Our simulation results show that the growth rate of CH4-CO2 mixed hydrate increases as the CO2 concentration in the initial solution phase increases and the temperature decreases. Via hydrate formation, the composition of CO2 in hydrate phase is higher than that in initial solution phase and the encaging capacity of CO2 in hydrates increases with the decrease in temperature. By analysis of the cage occupancy ratio of CH4 molecules and CO2 molecules in large cages to small cages, we find that CO2 molecules are preferably encaged into the large cages of the hydrate crystal as compared with CH4 molecules. Interestingly, CH4 molecules and CO2 molecules frequently replace with each other in some particular cage sites adjacent to hydrate/solution interface during the crystal growth process. These two species of guest molecules eventually act to stabilize the newly formed hydrates, with CO2 molecules occupying large cages and CH4 molecules occupying small cages in hydrate.     

Formation conditions and thermodynamic model predictions of carbon monoxide hydrates

With a fine accuracy and conciseness, Chen-Guo hydrate model has been widely applied to predict the hydrates formation conditions of different systems, including inhibitor containing systems and salt containing systems. However, the model could not predict the formation condition of carbon monoxide (CO) hydrates as the parameter values of CO required in the calculation are not available. In this work, CO hydrate formation pressures were measured at different temperatures in tetrahydrofuran (THF) solution first, then the parameter values of CO required in Chen-Guo model were fitted completely for the first time. On that basis, the hydrates formation conditions of different systems including CO were predicted by the model to verify the accuracy of the fitted values. The comparison between the predicted results and our experimental data (or literature data) shows that the absolute average deviation percentage (AADP) of structure I hydrates is no more than 1.481%, and the AADP of structure II hydrates is less than 6.796%. It is proved that the fitted parameter values of CO are credible, and Chen-Guo model is capable of predicting the formation conditions of CO hydrates. The experimental results and model modifications extend the applied range of Chen-Guo model and promote the development of CO hydrates thermodynamics research.     

Gas hydrates of argon and methane synthesized at high pressures: composition, thermal expansion, and self-preservation

For the first time, the compositions of argon and methane high-pressure gas hydrates have been directly determined. The studied samples of the gas hydrates were prepared under high-pressure conditions and quenched at 77 K. The composition of the argon hydrate (structure H, stable at 460-770 MPa) was found to be Ar.(3.27 +/- 0.17)H(2)O. This result shows a good agreement with the refinement of the argon hydrate structure using neutron powder diffraction data and helps to rationalize the evolution of hydrate structures in the Ar-H(2)O system at high pressures. The quenched argon hydrate was found to dissociate in two steps. The first step (170-190 K) corresponds to a partial dissociation of the hydrate and the self-preservation of a residual part of the hydrate with an ice cover. Presumably, significant amounts of ice Ic form at this stage. The second step (210-230 K) corresponds to the dissociation of the residual part of the hydrate. The composition of the methane hydrate (cubic structure I, stable up to 620 MPa) was found to be CH(4).5.76H(2)O. Temperature dependence of the unit cell parameters for both hydrates has been also studied. Calculated from these results, the thermal expansivities for the structure H argon hydrate are alpha(a) = 76.6 K(-1) and alpha(c) = 77.4 K(-1) (in the 100-250 K temperature range) and for the cubic structure I methane hydrate are alpha(a) = 32.2 K(-1), alpha(a) = 53.0 K(-1), and alpha(a) = 73.5 K(-1) at 100, 150, and 200 K, respectively.     

Kinetics and stability of CH4-CO2 mixed gas hydrates during formation and long-term storage.

The formation of CH4-CO2 mixed gas hydrates was observed by measuring the change of vapor-phase composition using gas chromatography and Raman spectroscopy. Preferential consumption of carbon dioxide molecules was found during hydrate formation, which agreed well with thermodynamic calculations. Both Raman spectroscopic analysis and the thermodynamic calculation indicated that the kinetics of this mixed gas hydrate system was controlled by the competition of both molecules to be enclathrated into the hydrate cages. However, the methane molecules were preferentially crystallized in the early stages of hydrate formation when the initial methane concentration was much less than that of carbon dioxide. According to the Roman spectra, pure methane hydrates first formed under this condition. This unique phenomenon suggested that methane molecules play important roles in the hydrate formation process. These mixed gas hydrates were stored at atmospheric pressure and 190 K for over two months to examine the stability of the encaged gases. During storage, CO2 was preferentially released. According to our thermodynamic analysis, this CO2 release was due to the instability of CO2 in the hydrate structure under the storage conditions.     

Crystal lattice size and stability of type H clathrate hydrates with various large-molecule guest substances

To gain a better understanding of the effects of guest molecules on the lattice and stability of type H hydrates, we performed powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) measurements and semiempirical molecular orbital calculations. The unit cell parameters and cohesive energies of various type H hydrates that contain methane (CH4) were analyzed. PXRD measurements indicated that an increase in the large-molecule guest volume caused the unit cell volume to increase. It was also indicated that a large-molecule guest substance caused the a-axis-direction of the unit cell to increase with little decrease in the c-axis direction. Calculations of cohesive energy by means of a semiempirical molecular orbital method indicated that the functional group and configuration of large-molecule guest substances affects the stability of type H hydrates. It was concluded that the icosahedron (5(12)6(8)) cages do not easily increase in length along the c-axis direction when larger guest molecules are used to form the hydrate, but the 5(12)6(8) cage and the layer of dodecahedron (5(12)) cages can easily increase in length along the a-axis direction due to interactions of the guest-host molecule.     

Rates and mechanisms of conversion of ice nanocrystals to ether clathrate hydrates: guest-molecule catalytic effects at approximately 120 k

A Fourier transform infrared investigation of the rates and energetics of conversion of ice nanocrystals within 3-D arrays to ether clathrate-hydrate (CH) particles at approximately 120 K is reported. After an induction period, apparently necessitated by relatively slow nucleation of the CH phase, the well-established shrinking-core model of particle-adsorbate reaction applies to these conversions in the presence of an abundance of adsorbed ether. This implies that the transport of the ether adsorbate through the product crust encasing a reacting particle core (a necessary aspect of a particle reaction mechanism) is the rate-controlling factor. Diffusion moves adsorbed reactant molecules to the reaction zone at the interface of the ice core with the product (CH) crust. The results indicate that ether hydrate formation rates near 120 K resemble rates for gas hydrates measured near 260 K, implying rates greater by many orders of magnitude for comparable temperatures. A surprising secondary enhancement of ether CH-formation rates by the simultaneous incorporation of simple small gas molecules (N2, CO2, CH4, CO, and N2O) has also been quantified in this study. The rapid CH formation at low temperatures is conjectured to derive from defect-facilitated transport of reactants to an interfacial reaction zone, with the defect populations enhanced through transient H bonding of guest-ether proton-acceptor groups with O-H groups of the hydrate cage walls.     

Sorption equilibria of CO2/CH4 mixture on activated carbon in presence of water

The sorption isotherms of CO2 + CH4 mixtures on an activated carbon were collected in the presence of water at a temperature suitable for hydrate formation. The equilibrium composition of both phases was determined. The initial concentration of CO2 in mixtures was set at 33, 38 and 42%, and the total pressure was up to 10 MPa. CO2 hydrates were firstly formed following the increase of total pressure, and CO2 dominates the sorbed phase composition. CO2 concentration in the sorbed phase begins to decrease when the partial pressure of methane allows for the formation of methane hydrates. Competition for hydrate cavities was observed between CO2 and CH4 as reflected in the isotherm shape and phase composition at equilibrium. The formation pressure of hydrates is lower for mixtures than for pure gases, and the highest sorption capacity of each gas decreased in the mixture sorption either.     

Effect of small cage guests on hydrogen bonding of tetrahydrofuran in binary structure II clathrate hydrates

Molecular dynamics simulations of the pure structure II tetrahydrofuran clathrate hydrate and binary structure II tetrahydrofuran clathrate hydrate with CO(2), CH(4), H(2)S, and Xe small cage guests are performed to study the effect of the shape, size, and intermolecular forces of the small cages guests on the structure and dynamics of the hydrate. The simulations show that the number and nature of the guest in the small cage affects the probability of hydrogen bonding of the tetrahydrofuran guest with the large cage water molecules. The effect on hydrogen bonding of tetrahydrofuran occurs despite the fact that the guests in the small cage do not themselves form hydrogen bonds with water. These results indicate that nearest neighbour guest-guest interactions (mediated through the water lattice framework) can affect the clathrate structure and stability. The implications of these subtle small guest effects on clathrate hydrate stability are discussed.     

Instant conversion of air to a clathrate hydrate: CO(2) hydrates directly from moist air and moist CO(2)(g)

The rapid conversion of vapor mixtures containing the gases CO(2), H(2)S, and HCN to clathrate hydrates was reported recently. The novel method is based on the pulsing of warm vapor mixtures, including a carrier gas, into a cold condensation chamber. With cooling, the vapors, which also include ～1% water and either tetrahydrofuran or trimethylene oxide as a catalyst, nucleate aqueous solution nanodroplets that, on a millisecond time scale, crystallize as hydrate nanoparticles that consume 100% of the water. Humid air approximates the content of mixtures used successfully in the vapor-to-hydrate conversions. FTIR spectra are examined for gas hydrates formed directly from air and air enriched with CO(2), as well as hydrate particles for which CO(2)(g) serves as both guest and aerosol medium. In each instance all of the water in the condensed phase converts to a clathrate hydrate. The subsecond ether-catalyzed formation of the hydrates near 230 K requires only a few percent of the CO(2) pressure used in conventional processes that yield fractional amounts of gas hydrates on an hour time scale in the same temperature range.     

Synthesis,Structure, and Haptotropic Interconversions of Tungsten Cycloheptatrienyl–Acetonitrile–Carbonyl Complexes

Russian Journal of Coordination Chemistry - Tungsten cycloheptatrienyl complexes (η7-C7H7)W(CO)2I (I), [(η3-C7H7)W(CO)2(CH3CN)3]PF6 (II), and [(η7-C7H7)W(CO)2(CH3CN)]PF6 (III) (CIF...     

Application of the cell potential method to predict phase equilibria of multicomponent gas hydrate systems

We present the application of a mathematical method reported earlier by which the van der Waals-Platteeuw statistical mechanical model with the Lennard-Jones and Devonshire approximation can be posed as an integral equation with the unknown function being the intermolecular potential between the guest molecules and the host molecules. This method allows us to solve for the potential directly for hydrates for which the Langmuir constants are computed, either from experimental data or from ab initio data. Given the assumptions made in the van der Waals-Platteeuw model with the spherical-cell approximation, there are an infinite number of solutions; however, the only solution without cusps is a unique central-well solution in which the potential is at a finite minimum at the center to the cage. From this central-well solution, we have found the potential well depths and volumes of negative energy for 16 single-component hydrate systems: ethane (C2H6), cyclopropane (C3H6), methane (CH4), argon (Ar), and chlorodifluoromethane (R-22) in structure I; and ethane (C2H6), cyclopropane (C3H6), propane (C3H8), isobutane (C4H10), methane (CH4), argon (Ar), trichlorofluoromethane (R-11), dichlorodifluoromethane (R-12), bromotrifluoromethane (R-13B1), chloroform (CHCl3), and 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (R-134a) in structure II. This method and the calculated cell potentials were validated by predicting existing mixed hydrate phase equilibrium data without any fitting parameters and calculating mixture phase diagrams for methane, ethane, isobutane, and cyclopropane mixtures. Several structural transitions that have been determined experimentally as well as some structural transitions that have not been examined experimentally were also predicted. In the methane-cyclopropane hydrate system, a structural transition from structure I to structure II and back to structure I is predicted to occur outside of the known structure II range for the cyclopropane hydrate. Quintuple (L(w)-sI-sII-L(hc)-V) points have been predicted for the ethane-propane-water (277.3 K, 12.28 bar, and x(eth,waterfree) = 0.676) and ethane-isobutane-water (274.7 K, 7.18 bar, and x(eth,waterfree) = 0.81) systems.     

The effect of carboxylate anions on the formation of clathrate hydrates of tetrabutylammcnium carboxylates

The solid-liquid phase diagrams of binary mixtures of water with tetrabutylammonium carboxylate having an unsaturated alkyl group in the carboxylate anion ((n-C₄H₉)₄NOOCR; R=C₂H₃–C₉H₁₇) were examined in order to confirm the formation of clathrate-like hydrates. The results are summarized as follows: (1) the formation of a clathrate-like hydrate is newly confirmed for all the 13 carboxylates examined; (2) these hydrates are classified into three groups I, II, and III on the basis of the hydration numbers; (3) the group I hydrates, which are formed by the carboxylates with R=C₂ and R=C₃, have hydration numbers around 30 and are the most stable hydrates among those examined in this study; (4) the group II hydrates, with hydration numbers around 39, are formed by all the carboxylates with R=C₄ and C₅ including sorbate and are less stable than the group I hydrates; (5) the group III hydrates, with hydration numbers around 30 like the group I hydrates, are formed by carboxylates with long alkyl chains such as 2-octenoate and 2-decenoate and are generally unstable.     

A molecular dynamics study of ethanol-water hydrogen bonding in binary structure I clathrate hydrate with CO2

Guest-host hydrogen bonding in clathrate hydrates occurs when in addition to the hydrophilic moiety which causes the molecule to form hydrates under high pressure-low temperature conditions, the guests contain a hydrophilic, hydrogen bonding functional group. In the presence of carbon dioxide, ethanol clathrate hydrate has been synthesized with 10% of large structure I (sI) cages occupied by ethanol. In this work, we use molecular dynamics simulations to study hydrogen bonding structure and dynamics in this binary sI clathrate hydrate in the temperature range of 100-250 K. We observe that ethanol forms long-lived (>500 ps) proton-donating and accepting hydrogen bonds with cage water molecules from both hexagonal and pentagonal faces of the large cages while maintaining the general cage integrity of the sI clathrate hydrate. The presence of the nondipolar CO(2) molecules stabilizes the hydrate phase, despite the strong and prevalent alcohol-water hydrogen bonding. The distortions of the large cages from the ideal form, the radial distribution functions of the guest-host interactions, and the ethanol guest dynamics are characterized in this study. In previous work through dielectric and NMR relaxation time studies, single crystal x-ray diffraction, and molecular dynamics simulations we have observed guest-water hydrogen bonding in structure II and structure H clathrate hydrates. The present work extends the observation of hydrogen bonding to structure I hydrates.     

On the thermodynamic stability and structural transition of clathrate hydrates

Gas mixtures of methane and ethane form structure II clathrate hydrates despite the fact that each of pure methane and pure ethane gases forms the structure I hydrate. Optimization of the interaction potential parameters for methane and ethane is attempted so as to reproduce the dissociation pressures of each simple hydrate containing either methane or ethane alone. An account for the structural transitions between type I and type II hydrates upon changing the mole fraction of the gas mixture is given on the basis of the van der Waals and Platteeuw theory with these optimized potentials. Cage occupancies of the two kinds of hydrates are also calculated as functions of the mole fraction at the dissociation pressure and at a fixed pressure well above the dissociation pressure.