Dissociation of Methane Hydrate in Aqueous NaCl Solutions

Molecular dynamics simulations of the dissociation of methane hydrate in aqueous NaCl solutions are performed. It is shown that the dissociation of the hydrate is accelerated by the formation of methane bubbles both in NaCl solutions and in pure water. We find two significant effects on the kinetics of the hydrate dissociation by NaCl. One is slowing down in an early stage before bubble formation, and another is swift bubble formation that enhances the dissociation. These effects arise from the low solubility of methane in NaCl solution, which gives rise to a nonuniform spatial distribution of solvated methane in the aqueous phase. We also demonstrate that bubbles form near the hydrate interface in dense NaCl solutions and that the hydrate dissociation proceeds inhomogeneously due to the bubbles.