Clathrate Hydrates: From Laboratory Science to Engineering Practice

Clathrate hydrates have steadily emerged as an important field in the areas of flow assurance, energy storage and resource, and environment. To better understand the role of hydrates in all of these areas, knowledge developed in laboratory experiments must be effectively transferred to address the challenges related to hydrate formation, dissociation, agglomeration, and stability. This paper highlights the recent hydrate literature focusing on the thermodynamics, kinetics, structural properties, particle properties, rheological properties, and molecular mechanisms of formation. The foundation for continued understanding and development of hydrates in engineering practice will rely on laboratory measurements utilizing traditional and innovative tools capable of probing time-dependent and time-independent properties.