Effect of synthesized silver nanoparticles in promoting methane hydrate formation at 4.7 MPa and 5.7 MPa

Using gas hydrates as materials for storage and transportation of natural gas have attracted much attention in recent years. However, there are two barriers in industrializing this new method. Firstly, methane hydrate induction time is relatively high. On the other hand the amount of gas trapped in methane hydrate crystals is too low. In this survey, silver nanoparticles were synthesized using a chemical reduction method and introduced to the hydrate reactor. Experiments were conducted at initial reactor pressures of 4.7 MPa and 5.7 MPa. At each pressure three independent experiments were performed. According to the results, in the presence of silver nanoparticles, methane hydrate induction time decreased by 85% and 73.9%, and the amount of methane trapped in hydrate crystals increased by 33.7% and 7.4% at the pressures of 4.7 MPa and 5.7 MPa respectively.

► Synthesis of silver nanoparticles were using a chemical reduction method.
► Decreasing the induction time of methane hydrate formation in the presence of silver nanoparticles.
► Increasing the amount of methane trapped in hydrate crystals formation in the presence of silver nanoparticles.