Quasi‑liquid layer speeds clathrate hydrate growth
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- Alberto Striolo co‑authored a PNAS article that identifies a quasi‑liquid interfacial layer on clathrate hydrates that influences their growth rate.
- The researchers used computer simulations with chemical additives to show that adsorbing additives thickens the quasi‑liquid layer.
- The thickened quasi‑liquid layer was found to accelerate CO₂ diffusion, allowing CO₂ molecules to move faster than in bulk liquid water.
- Clathrate hydrates can trap gases in cage‑like structures, and larger cages could enable low‑pressure gas storage and cheaper transport.
- The study suggests that hydrates might aid desalination by expelling salt during formation and could help separate gases or capture CO₂ without large chemical plants.
- Matteo Salvalaglio and Xinrui Cai are co‑authors from the Thomas Young Centre and UCL’s Department of Chemical Engineering.
- The University of Oklahoma provided the research team that investigated the quasi‑liquid layer’s effect on hydrate growth.
Why it matters: The finding enables faster hydrate formation, lowering gas transport costs and providing a low‑pressure CO₂ storage option, while also offering insight to mitigate hydrate‑induced pipeline blockages that threaten oil‑gas production. It further suggests that hydrates could aid desalination by expelling salt and help separate gases, expanding their niche technological applications.
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