Study of Toluene Sulfonic Acid Isomers for Carbon Dioxide Hydrate Promotion in Deep See Sequestration Process

Natural gas hydrates are a class of compounds consisted of water and natural gas molecules. When water and natural gas are in contact at hydrate forming conditions, hydrates do not usually form immediately. Induction time is the time period necessary for the appearance of the first hydrate cluster; such a cluster is capable of spontaneous overgrowth to a macroscopic size. Hydrotropes are a class of hydrate promoter compounds though amphiphilic in character, they have short hydrophobic regions and thus differ from classical surfactants. This work discusses carbon dioxide hydrate promotion capabilities of hydrotrope Toluene Sulfonic Acid (TSA) isomers when used as an additive in water for hydrate formation. The hydrate promotion capability of TSA isomers were tested by forming hydrates with different concentration solutions in the presence of carbon dioxide as a major greenhouse gas by subjecting it to hydrate formation conditions, and subsequently, after adequate formation, dissociating and measuring the gas to water ratio in hydrates. Carbon dioxide hydrate promotion is a new method for disposing this greenhouse gas as a solid layer under oceans.

Keywords:

Critical Micelle Concentration , Gas Hydrate , Hydrotropes , TSA