Storage of Methane Gas in the Form of Clathrates in the Presence of Natural Bioadditives

Methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), the important greenhouse gases, are capable of forming clathrate hydrates under some suitable thermodynamic conditions. The gas storage capacity of these materials is high, and therefore they are often useful in gas storage applications. Certain expensive and toxic chemicals are employed to accelerate/decelerate the process. In this study, we report rapid (similar to 30-50 min) and effective (similar to 80%) methane hydrate conversion in the presence of three naturally occurring additives such as dry powders from Nelumbo nucifera (Indian lotus), Piper betle (betel), and Azadirachta indica (neem), at lower concentrations (0.5 wt %). Obtained results were carefully compared with the well-known kinetic promoter (sodium dodecyl sulfate). All the biomaterials are equally good kinetic promoters for methane hydrates, although the required subcooling is significantly large. However, no hydrate formation is observed with CO2 gas.