Evaluation of CH 4 Gas Permeation Rates through Silicone Membranes and Its Possible Use as CH 4 -Extractor in Gas Hydrate Deposits

Bettina Beeskow-Strauch, Judith Maria Schicks and Martin Zimmer
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Bettina Beeskow-Strauch: German Research Centre for Geoscience (GFZ) Section 4.2, Telegrafenberg, Potsdam 14473, Germany
Judith Maria Schicks: German Research Centre for Geoscience (GFZ) Section 4.2, Telegrafenberg, Potsdam 14473, Germany
Martin Zimmer: German Research Centre for Geoscience (GFZ) Section 4.2, Telegrafenberg, Potsdam 14473, Germany

Energies, 2015, vol. 8, issue 6, 1-17

Abstract: This preliminary study discusses the option of using silicone (PDMS) tubes for the extraction and monitoring of CH 4 gas from hydrate deposits during decomposition. For this, the gas flow of gaseous and dissolved CH 4 through hand-manufactured silicone tube membranes has been tested on a small lab scale. The permeability of pure CH 4 gas at ambient pressure and 295K is in good agreement with literature reports. The permeability rate of CH 4 derived from dissolved methane is expectedly lower and decreases by more than half. Theoretical assumptions and lab results are not in straightforward correlation. This leads to the conclusion that experimental constraints influence the permeability. These are mainly an increase of the gas stream resistivity due to the membrane-filling and membrane-sediment contact points as well as the effect of degassing dissolved CH 4 on the tube surface due to pressure gradients. Therefore, the use as a monitoring tool needs to be individually tested before the respective application. Due to the robust nature of the membranes, their application as a tool for capturing gaseous CH 4 during hydrate decomposition is a feasible goal.

Keywords: polydimethylsiloxan (PDMS); silicone membrane; gas hydrate; CH 4 extraction; dissolved CH 4 (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: 2015
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