A Review of Reactor Designs and Materials Employed for Increasing the Rate of Gas Hydrate Formation

Over the course of the last 50 years, gas hydrates have been proposed for use in a diverse range of applications, including gas storage, gas transportation, gas separation, ice cream production, and seawater desalination. While there have been many studies that have demonstrated the thermodynamic potential for using gas hydrates in these applications, the slow kinetics of formation and, to a lesser extent, dissociation, have hindered their adoption. Since the early 1990s, there have been numerous studies that have highlighted the use of surfactants, such as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), for the enhancement of gas hydrate kinetics. More recently, there has been growing interest in non-surfactant-based methods for enhancing the rate of gas hydrate formation, which physically increase the surface area available for gas hydrate formation. These methods, which include hydrate formation in sand packs, silica gels, dry water, foams, nanoparticles, and hydrogels are relatively recent advances and are discussed in a disparate array of academic journals. The purpose of this review article is to compile and summarize this knowledge in a single article and to highlight the prospect and future challenges.