Gas hydrates with a high capacity and high formation rate promoted by biosurfactants

Abstract

The disclosure provides an LS methane hydrate containing a plurality of methane hydrate crystals and lignosulfonate. The disclosure also provides a method of making an LS methane hydrate by combining methane gas, liquid or solid water, and LS at controlled temperature and starting pressure for a time sufficient to form LS methane hydrate. The disclosure further provides a method of producing energy from an LS methane hydrate by providing an LS methane hydrate directly to a combustion chamber, whereby methane in the methane hydrate and LS are converted to energy in the combustion chamber and water in the methane hydrate is converted to steam. The disclosure additionally provides a method of releasing methane from an LS methane hydrate by heating an LS methane hydrate.

1 . A lignosulfonate (LS) gas hydrate comprising:
 a plurality of gas hydrate crystals; and   LS.   
     
     
         2 . The LS gas hydrate of  claim 1 , wherein the gas comprises methane. 
     
     
         3 . The LS gas hydrate of  claim 1 , wherein the gas comprises CO 2  (carbon dioxide), H 2  (hydrogen gas), O 2  (oxygen gas), N 2  (nitrogen gas), H 2   5  (hydrogen sulfide), Ar (argon gas), Kr (krypton gas), Xe (xenon gas), a higher hydrocarbon gas, or a fluorocarbon gas. 
     
     
         4 . The LS gas hydrate of  claim 1 , comprising at least 0.1 wt % LS. 
     
     
         5 . The LS gas hydrate of  claim 1 , comprising at least 0.5 wt % LS. 
     
     
         6 . The LS gas hydrate of  claim 1 , comprising as much as 5.0 wt % LS. 
     
     
         7 . The LS gas hydrate of  claim 1 , comprising as much as 2.0 wt % LS. 
     
     
         8 . The LS gas hydrate of  claim 1 , wherein the LS gas hydrate has an actual gas volumetric storage capacity of at least 80 v/v. 
     
     
         9 . The LS gas hydrate of  claim 1 , wherein the LS gas hydrate has an actual gas volumetric storage capacity of at least 160 v/v. 
     
     
         10 . The LS gas hydrate of  claim 1 , wherein the LS gas hydrate has an actual gas storage capacity of at least 180 v/v. 
     
     
         11 . The LS gas hydrate of  claim 1 , wherein the LS comprises a lignosulfonate salt. 
     
     
         12 . The LS gas hydrate of  claim 11 , wherein the lignosulfonate salt is selected from the group consisting of lignosulfonates with any cations, such as calcium lignosulfonate (Ca-LS), sodium lignosulfonate (Na-LS), potassium lignosulfonate (K-LS), and any combinations thereof. 
     
     
         13 . A method of making a lignosulfonate (LS) gas hydrate comprising combining gas, liquid or solid water, and LS at controlled temperature and starting pressure for a time sufficient to form LS gas hydrate. 
     
     
         14 . The method  claim 13 , wherein the gas comprises methane. 
     
     
         15 . The method  claim 13 , wherein the gas comprises CO 2  (carbon dioxide), H 2  (hydrogen gas), O 2  (oxygen gas), N 2  (nitrogen gas), H 2 S (hydrogen sulfide), Ar (argon gas), Kr (krypton gas), Xe (xenon gas), a higher hydrocarbon gas, or a fluorocarbon gas. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the time sufficient is 30 minutes or less. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the time sufficient is the amount of time to form LS gas hydrate containing substantially all of its actual gas volumetric storage capacity. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the time sufficient is 1000 minutes or less. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , comprising combining 0.1 wt % LS. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , comprising combining 0.5 wt % LS. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 13 , comprising combining as much as 5.0 wt % LS. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the LS gas hydrate has an actual gas storage capacity of at least 80 v/v. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the LS gas hydrate has an actual gas storage capacity of at least 160 v/v. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the LS comprises a lignosulfonate salt. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the lignosulfonate salt is selected from the group consisting of lignosulfonate with any cations or their combinations. 
     
     
         26 . A method of producing energy from a lignosulfonate (LS) combustible gas hydrate comprising providing an LS combustible gas hydrate directly to a combustion chamber, whereby combustible gas in the combustible gas hydrate and LS are converted to energy in the combustion chamber and water in the combustible gas hydrate is converted to steam. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the combustible gas comprises methane. 
     
     
         28 . A method of releasing gas from a lignosulfonate (LS) gas hydrate comprising heating an LS gas hydrate to at least 0° C. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the gas comprises methane. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the gas comprises CO 2  (carbon dioxide), H 2  (hydrogen gas), O 2  (oxygen gas), N 2  (nitrogen gas), H 2 S (hydrogen sulfide), Ar (argon gas), Kr (krypton gas), Xe (xenon gas), a higher hydrocarbon gas, or a fluorocarbon gas.