Fast methane diffusion at the interface of two clathrate structures

Umbertoluca Ranieri (), Michael Marek Koza, Werner F. Kuhs, Stefan Klotz, Andrzej Falenty, Philippe Gillet and Livia E. Bove ()
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Umbertoluca Ranieri: EPSL, ICMP, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
Michael Marek Koza: Institut Laue-Langevin
Werner F. Kuhs: GZG Abt. Kristallographie, Universität Göttingen
Stefan Klotz: Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, Université Pierre et Marie Curie Paris 06, CNRS Unité Mixte de Recherche 7590, Sorbonne Universités
Andrzej Falenty: GZG Abt. Kristallographie, Universität Göttingen
Philippe Gillet: EPSL, ICMP, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
Livia E. Bove: EPSL, ICMP, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)

Nature Communications, 2017, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract Methane hydrates naturally form on Earth and in the interiors of some icy bodies of the Universe, and are also expected to play a paramount role in future energy and environmental technologies. Here we report experimental observation of an extremely fast methane diffusion at the interface of the two most common clathrate hydrate structures, namely clathrate structures I and II. Methane translational diffusion—measured by quasielastic neutron scattering at 0.8 GPa—is faster than that expected in pure supercritical methane at comparable pressure and temperature. This phenomenon could be an effect of strong confinement or of methane aggregation in the form of micro-nanobubbles at the interface of the two structures. Our results could have implications for understanding the replacement kinetics during sI–sII conversion in gas exchange experiments and for establishing the methane mobility in methane hydrates embedded in the cryosphere of large icy bodies in the Universe.

Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01167-2

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