Effect of solid dispersants on the formation of hydrates in W/O emulsion systems: Micron and nanoscale

Abstract

Aiming at the problem of natural gas hydrate blockage in oil and gas pipelines. The key to rationally inhibiting the formation of hydrates in pipelines is to find the factors that lead to the rapid coalescence of hydrates. We studied the effect of 0.2 wt% graphite particles and Fe2O3 particles (20 nm and 1 μm) as solid dispersants on hydrate formation in a W/O emulsion system at 275.15 K and 7 MPa. The results showed that 0.2 wt% solid dispersants could be adsorbed on the interface of Pickering emulsion to inhibit the binding of particles. In addition, solid dispersants improve the mass and heat transfer capacity of the reaction system and increase the final gas consumption. The 20 nm Fe2O3 particle reaction system had the largest gas consumption and the highest reaction rate. A three-dimensional network mechanism was proposed to explain the rapid formation of hydrate particles from the perspective of kinetics. Our experimental results and suggested mechanisms provided a reference for the promotion or inhibition of hydrate growth.