Improving C2H3Cl2F hydrate formation for cold storage in the presence of amino acids

Abstract

The motivation of this study is to investigate the effect of side chain groups of amino acids on hydrate formation. To confirm their effects on hydrate nucleation and growth, we use aromatic amino acids (tryptophan, phenylalanine, tyrosine), heterocyclic amino acids (histidine, proline) and aliphatic acids (arginine, alanine) as biological additives. The effect of different side chain groups of amino acids on hydrate formation kinetics is investigated. It is found that the hydrophobic groups of amino acids have a significant influence on promoting hydrate formation compared with the hydrophilic groups. Among the hydrophobic groups, aromatic groups are superior to aliphatic groups in improving hydrate nucleation and growth rate, while aliphatic groups are more advantageous in increasing hydrate production, cold storage capacity (CSC) and hydrate conversion rate. Heterocyclic amino acids have no obvious effect on hydrate formation. In addition, foam is not produced during hydrate dissociation, which is good for practical application.