Memory effect on the pressure-temperature condition and induction time of gas hydrate nucleation

The focus of this study is to investigate the influence of memory effect and the relation of its existence with the dissociation temperature, using gas hydrate formation and dissociation experiments. This is beneficial because memory effect is considered as an effective approach to promote the thermodynamic and dynamic conditions of gas hydrate nucleation. Seven experimental systems (twenty tests in total) were performed in a 1 L pressure cell. Three types of hydrate morphology, namely massive, whiskery and jelly crystals were present in the experiments. The pressures and temperatures at the time when visual hydrate crystals appeared were measured. Furthermore, the influence of memory effect was quantified in terms of pressure-temperature-time (p-T-t) relations. The results revealed that memory effect could promote the thermodynamic conditions and shorten the induction time when the dissociation temperature was not higher than 25 degrees C. In this study, the nucleation superpressure and induction time decrease gradually with time of tests, when the earlier and the later tests are compared. It is assumed that the residual structure of hydrate dissociation, as the source of the memory effect, provides a site for mass transfer between host and guest molecules. Therefore, a driving force is created between the residual structures and its surrounding bulk phase to promote the hydrate nucleation. However, when the dissociation temperature was higher than 25 degrees C, the memory effect vanished. These findings provide references for the application of memory effect in hydrate-based technology.