Enhanced carbon dioxide hydrate formation kinetics in a fixed bed reactor filled with metallic packing

In this fundamental work, two nonporous metallic (SS-316) mesh arrangements having high thermal conductivity compared to silica sand and silica gel were used as a packing material in a fixed bed setup for faster hydrate growth kinetics. Induction time and kinetics of carbon dioxide hydrate formation was investigated at 3.0 MPa and 274.65 K. An anionic surfactant, 1 wt% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was used as a kinetic promoter in all the experiments. Significantly higher gas uptake rate of 115 mol min−1 m−3 and water to hydrate conversion of 50% was achieved in an hour of hydrate formation with metallic packing in the presence of SDS. Amount of CO2 gas captured per mass/volume of packing material was significantly higher for metallic packing compared to silica sand and silica gel, which is an important parameter for evaluating a hydrate crystallization process using fixed bed.