The Kinetics of Hydrate Formation

Abstract

Abstract The kinetic and thermodynamic inhibition of gas hydrates occurs by disruption of the hydrogen bonding process that otherwise leads to clustering of water molecules as a solid lattice. Consequently, and in order to design better inhibitors for gas hydrates, it is of utmost importance to understand the mechanisms that lead to the formation of gas hydrates. The interaction of the hydrate forming molecules with the water molecules at the onset of hydrate formation is re-examined in light of the results of NMR and X-ray diffraction data, and the statistical mechanics models. This re-examination shows that the large cages of structures I and II hydrates are almost always preferentially occupied regardless of the molecular size of the hydrate former. In other words, the large cages 512 62 and 512 64 of the hydrate structures, I and II, dominate the hydrate nucleation process.