Effect of surfactant Tween on induction time of gas hydrate formation

作     者：ZHANG Bao-yong WU Qiang SUN Deng-lin 

作者机构：Safety Engineering College Heilongjiang Institute of Science and Technology Harbin Heilongjiang 150027 China CoUege of Resource and Environment Engineering Liaoning Technical University Fuxin Liaoning 123000 China 

出 版 物：《Journal of China University of Mining and Technology》 (中国矿业大学学报（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2008年第18卷第1期

页      面：18-21页

核心收录：

学科分类：0819[工学-矿业工程] 081903[工学-安全技术及工程] 08[工学] 

基　　金：Projects 50374037 and 50574038 supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China B2007-10 by the Provincial Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang 

主　　题：gas hydrate surfactant induction time coal and gas outburst 

摘      要：Acceleration of gas hydrate formation is important in preventing coal and gas outbursts and is based on a hydration mechanism. It becomes therefore necessary to investigate the effect of surfactants, acting as accelerants for hydrate formation, on induction time. We experimented with three types of a Tween solution with equal concentrations of 0.001 mol/L (T40, T40/T80 (1:1), T40/T80 (4:1)). By means of visual experimental equipment, developed by us, we measured generalized induction time using a Direct Observation Method. The experimental data were analyzed combined with a mass transfer model and a hydrate crystal nuclei growth model. Our major conclusions are as follows: 1) solubilization of surfactants produces supersaturated gas molecules, which promotes the mass transfer from a bulk phase to hydrates and provides the driving force for the complexation between host molecules (water) and guest molecules in a gas hydrate formation process; 2) when the solution of the surfactant concentration exceeds the critical micelle concentration (CMC), the surfactant in an aqueous solution will transform to micelles. Most of the gas molecules are bound to form clusters with water molecules, which promotes the formation of crystal nuclei of gas hydrates; 3) the surfactant T40 proved to have more notable effects on the promotion of crystal nuclei formation and on shortening the induction time, compared with T40/T80 (1:1) and T40/T80 (4:1).