Js. Parent et Pr. Bishnoi, INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE NUCLEATION BEHAVIOR OF METHANE GAS HYDRATES, Chemical engineering communications, 144, 1996, pp. 51-64
Details on the design and construction of a high-pressure, temperature
controlled sapphire cell are reported for the study of clathrate hydr
ate nucleation under pristine experimental conditions. Laser light sca
ttering optics and detection equipment have been successfully integrat
ed with the apparatus to monitor the development of the incipient phas
e and characterize the early stages of hydrate growth. Experiments on
the scattering behaviour of the nucleation process have revealed that
within the detection limit of the technique, the hydrate phase was not
present in sufficient size or number prior to its catastrophic appear
ance. A series of investigations to identify nucleation process variab
les have verified the existence of an aqueous phase thermal history. I
n addition, the efficacy of perturbations on inducing hydrate formatio
n has been established. These studies are consistent with literature o
n the formation of ice and the crystallization of inorganic salts and
sugars. The data support an argument that the nucleation process is no
n-deterministic due to a probabilistic element within the nucleation m
echanism.