Synergistic effect of alcohol polyoxyethylene ether sodium sulphate and copper foam on methane hydrate formation

Abstract Natural gas is the cleanest fossil energy source and its consumption is increasing rapidly, so an efficient natural gas way of storing and transporting is urgently needed. Solidified natural gas (SNG) technology is gaining traction because of its higher safety, lower cost, and flexible storage and transportation modes. To improve the methane uptake rate in SNG technology, this work investigated the growth of methane hydrate in fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether sodium sulphate (AES) solution with the addition of three different pores per inch (PPI) of copper foam (CF). The results showed that the addition of AES caused the hydrate to grow upwards along the wall, and the methane uptake in the 300 ppm AES solution was increased by 623% compared to pure water. CF not only provided more nucleation sites for hydrate but also transferred the heat generated during hydration. Moreover, there was a synergistic effect between AES and CF and the solution could continuously transport upward along the continuous metal skeleton to increase the gas–liquid contact area. Thus, the formation rate and induction time of methane hydrate improve. Hydrate had the highest methane uptake in the 20 PPI CF system and the lower the pressure, the greater the ability of CF to promote hydrate formation. The methane uptake improved by 27.6% and the induction time was reduced by 59.7% compared to the pure AES system at 6 MPa. This work is aimed at advancing SNG technology (especially at low pressure) and informs the theoretical foundation.