Project Info

Clathrate hydrate interfacial properties

Carolyn Koh | ckoh@mines.edu

Clathrate hydrates are solid inclusion compounds that are formed from water and small organic molecules. They occur in nature as well as in industrial petroleum pipelines when the guest molecules comprise the components of natural gas. The other technological application that is especially interesting is water desalination. Understanding the interfacial properties of hydrates is still an outstanding scientific question, yet key to controlling these compounds in the different technological application areas of hydrates. The goals of the project are to: (1) Investigate the effect of different sizes and charges of ions on the interfacial properties of clathrate hydrate particles. (2) Evaluate from measured interfacial property date the dominant parameters controlling interparticle force interactions. This will involve a number of key techniques, including interfacial tension and micromechanical interparticle force measurements, as well as interfacial theory calculations.

More Information

Carolyn A. Koh et al., Fundamentals and Applications of Gas Hydrates, Annual Reviews of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, 2011, 2, pp. 237–57

Sijia Hu and Carolyn A. Koh, Interfacial Properties and Mechanisms Dominating Gas Hydrate Cohesion and Adhesion in Liquid and Vapor Hydrocarbon Phases, Langmuir, 2017. 33 (42), pp. 11299–11309

Grand Engineering Challenge: Provide access to clean water