Generation of gas hydrate using fresh snow

Abstract

Hydrate is formed when hydrogen bonds in water molecules have a basket-like structure. The central volume of hydrate is comparatively vast, vacuumated and can be filled with gas molecules. A technical problem arises when solid water (water and ice) interacts: as the speed of the formation of hydrate is too slow, the quantity of guest gas absorbed by the hydrate is not sufficient. To solve the problem, the authors attempted to use snow as a host hydrate: the contact surface of snow with guest gas is much larger as compared with ordinary ice, the capacity of snow to absorb gas being much higher than that of ice. We used propane for guest gas filling hydrate. It has been proved that fresh snow absorbs gas much better (70 per cent) than other kinds of ice do.