title: Hydrophobic particle effects on hydrate crystal growth at the water-oil interface.
abstract: This study introduced hydrophobic silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) into an interface of aqueous and hydrate-forming oil phases and analyzed the inhibition of hydrate crystal growth after seeding the hydrate slurry. The hydrate inhibition performance was quantitatively identified by micro-differential scanning calorimetry (micro-DSC) experiments. Through the addition of 1.0 wt% of SiNPs into the water-oil interface, the hydrate crystal growth only occurred around the seeding position of cyclopentane (CP) hydrate slurry, and the growth of hydrate crystals was retarded. Upon a further increase in the SiNP concentration up to 2.0 wt%, the SiNP-laden interface completely prevented hydrate growth. We observed a hollow conical shape of hydrate crystals with 0.0 and 1.0 wt% of SiNPs, respectively, but the size and shape of the conical crystals was shrunken at 1.0 wt% of silica nanoparticles. However, the conical shape did not appear with an increased nanoparticle concentration of 2 wt%. These findings can provide insight into hydrate inhibition in oil and gas delivery lines, possibly with nanoparticles.
authors.affiliation: Chemical Engineering Department, The City College of New York, 140th Street and Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031 (United States), Fax: (+82) 42-350-3910.
authors.forename: Minjun
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.forename: Seungjun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: Jae W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: crystal growth; hydrates; inhibitors; nanoparticles; silica