Observation of the Main Natural Parameters Influencing the Formation of Gas Hydrates

Alberto Maria Gambelli, Umberta Tinivella, Rita Giovannetti, Beatrice Castellani, Michela Giustiniani, Andrea Rossi, Marco Zannotti and Federico Rossi
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Alberto Maria Gambelli: Engineering Department, University of Perugia, Via G. Duranti 93, 06125 Perugia, Italy
Umberta Tinivella: Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale—OGS, Borgo Grotta Gigante 42C, 34010 Trieste, Italy
Rita Giovannetti: Chemistry Division, School of Science and Technology, University of Camerino, Via S. Agostino 1, 62032 Camerino, Italy
Beatrice Castellani: Engineering Department, University of Perugia, Via G. Duranti 93, 06125 Perugia, Italy
Michela Giustiniani: Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale—OGS, Borgo Grotta Gigante 42C, 34010 Trieste, Italy
Andrea Rossi: Chemistry Division, School of Science and Technology, University of Camerino, Via S. Agostino 1, 62032 Camerino, Italy
Marco Zannotti: Chemistry Division, School of Science and Technology, University of Camerino, Via S. Agostino 1, 62032 Camerino, Italy
Federico Rossi: Engineering Department, University of Perugia, Via G. Duranti 93, 06125 Perugia, Italy

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 7, 1-25

Abstract: Chemical composition in seawater of marine sediments, as well as the physical properties and chemical composition of soils, influence the phase behavior of natural gas hydrate by disturbing the hydrogen bond network in the water-rich phase before hydrate formation. In this article, some marine sediments samples, collected in National Antarctic Museum in Trieste, were analyzed and properties such as pH, conductivity, salinity, and concentration of main elements of water present in the sediments are reported. The results, obtained by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and ion chromatography (IC) analysis, show that the more abundant cation is sodium and, present in smaller quantities, but not negligible, are calcium, potassium, and magnesium, while the more abundant anion is chloride and sulfate is also appreciable. These results were successively used to determine the thermodynamic parameters and the effect on salinity of water on hydrates’ formation. Then, hydrate formation was experimentally tested using a small-scale apparatus, in the presence of two different porous media: a pure silica sand and a silica-based natural sand, coming from the Mediterranean seafloor. The results proved how the presence of further compounds, rather than silicon, as well as the heterogeneous grainsize and porosity, made this sand a weak thermodynamic and a strong kinetic inhibitor for the hydrate formation process.

Keywords: water chemistry; Antarctic sediment samples; salinity; gas hydrate (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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