Innovative role of Benzalkonium chloride as a quaternary ammonium salt for natural gas hydrate formation and storage

This study assessed the kinetics of natural gas hydrate (NGH) formation using N-benzyl-N, N-dimethyldodecan-1-aminium chloride (Benzalkonium chloride, Bzc) at concentrations ranging from 500 to 3000 ppm. It investigated its effects on the hydrate formation. These experiments were compared with pure water and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solutions at 298.15 K and 6.5 MPa. The findings indicate that the Bzc significantly enhances the formation kinetics and gas consumption of NGH. The 2500 ppm of Bzc notably reduced the induction time for hydrate nucleation up to 9.9 min. In contrast, it was 41.3 min with the SDS. The hydrate formation began at the gas/liquid interface and spread upward into the gas phase and downward into the liquid phase. The NGH dissociation and recovery were slower by the SDS among the Bzc solutions (smooth and fast). This observation indicates that the Bzc improves the formation and dissociation kinetics, making it a promising NGH formation and storage reagent. The results show that the Bzc significantly boosts the kinetics of NGH formation and dissociation at a small time and pressure. Providing valuable insights for optimizing hydrate technology.