Effects of pyrrolidine on methane hydrate formation: Thermodynamic, kinetic, and morphology perspectives

Solidified natural gas (SNG) via clathrate hydrates has been proposed as an alternative approach for natural gas storage and transportation. In this work, the roles of 5.56 mol% pyrrolidine were investigated for the methane hydrate formation in terms of thermodynamics and kinetics along with morphology. The results showed that pyrrolidine generally improved the thermodynamic stability of mixed methane hydrates, enhancing the formation at milder conditions than those of pure methane hydrates. To demonstrate the kinetic performance of pyrrolidine, the experiments were performed at 8 MPa and 285.2 K in a quiescent configuration. The results showed that a very short induction time and a rapid rate of hydrate formation with desirable methane uptake were achieved. In addition, a distinct methane bubble with breathing effect, assisting methane gas to interact with the bulk solution, was observed during the hydrate formation morphology. The comparative kinetic study with 5.56 mol% tetrahydrofuran (THF) was also carried out under the same driving force and the same experimental condition. Surprisingly, although THF gave a high methane uptake, pyrrolidine could give more than 10 times higher rate of hydrate formation at the same driving force; moreover, it provided a competitive rate with THF at the similar formation condition.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates that the addition of pyrrolidine during methane hydrate formation can improve the thermodynamic stability of the hydrate, enhance formation, and achieve higher formation rates. Experimental results also show that pyrrolidine can achieve shorter induction times and faster rates of hydrate formation under more relaxed conditions.