Enhanced formation of methane hydrate using a novel synthesized anionic surfactant for application in storage and transportation of natural gas

Storage and transportation of natural gas in the form of hydrate attract interest in recent times as a huge amount of gas can be accumulated within a small volume of solid hydrate. In the present study, a novel surfactant synthesized from castor oil is used as gas hydrate promoter with a significant increase in formation rate, reduction of induction time and higher gas storage capacity, which is desirable for storage and transportation of natural gas in the form of hydrate. The study includes characterization of the synthesized natural surfactant and its effect on storage capacity, kinetics, and rate of formation of hydrate at different concentrations. A higher storage capacity of 96% of the theoretical maximum value was obtained for the system with 9000 ppm concentration of the surfactant. Hydrate formation follows first-order kinetics with a higher kinetic rate at higher concentration of surfactant. This indicates feasibility to use the naturally derived surfactant to increase the storage capacity and transportation efficiency of natural gas.