Effect of metal particles on promoting the nucleation of tetra-n-butylammonium semiclathrate hydrate

Abstract

Abstract The formation of tetra-n-butylammonium bromide (TBAB) hydrate from a TBAB aqueous solution tends to show a supercooling phenomenon, which is non-ideal for the practical use of TBAB hydrate. However, as reported in the literature, the products obtained from the use of metal electrodes for the application of an electric field can accelerate the nucleation of the hydrate. Herein, we investigated the role of metal particles (Ag, AgBr, Zn, and ZnO) and their mixed forms (Ag–AgBr and Zn–ZnO) on promoting the nucleation of TBAB semiclathrate hydrate. The nucleation-promoting effect was most significant for the mixed metal particles when prepared by simultaneous grinding of the metal particle components. The changes in the physicochemical properties of the mixed metal particles as a result of grinding were believed to accelerate the nucleation of TBAB hydrate.