Promoting Methane Hydrate Formation for Natural Gas Storage over Chabazite Zeolites

Gas hydrates are a promising methane storage method. This study investigates the potential for zeolites to overcome hydrate formation limitations. The chabazite zeolites SSZ-13 and SAPO-34 increased water-to-hydrate conversion from 5.8 ± 1.4% to 91.3 ± 0.5% and 38.4 ± 1.5%, respectively, due to the high surface area of the zeolites enlarging the gas-to-water contact area. SSZ-13 promoted on average 2.6 times more hydrate growth than SAPO-34 due to SSZ-13’s more hydrophobic nature resulting in higher methane adsorption (can be consumed in hydrate formation) and lower electrostaticity (does not restrict water activity/orientation). Overall, SSZ-13 maintains its structural integrity and exhibits reproducible hydrate formation promotion results.