Hydrate nucleation in quiescent and dynamic conditions

• Mineral surface characters primarily affect the nucleation kinetics.
• Vibrations facilitate nucleation when accelerations exceed thresholds.
• Acceleration is a better discriminator for the efficiency of facilitating nucleation.

Gas hydrate nucleation is the spontaneous formation of an ordered crystalline lattice from a disordered phase. This inherently random process often involves long induction times particularly in quiescent conditions. An experimental study was conducted to explore the kinetics of hydrate formation in the presence of mineral grains and when subjected to mechanical agitation. Results show that tetrahydrofuran THF hydrate nucleation is facilitated in the presence of most minerals, and induction times are a function of mineralogy and surface characteristics. While mechanical vibration does not suppress the inherent stochastic nature of nucleation, mechanical agitation triggers nucleation when the imposed acceleration exceeds ∼10 m/s2.