Increasing the Storage Capacity and Selectivity in the Formation of Natural Gas Hydrates Using Porous Media

Formation of a gas hydrate with two different gas compositions (natural gas and a mixture of methane-ethane-propane) was investigated using a special method of producing the hydrate from ice. Gas uptake, splitting the fraction of each component between the gas phase and hydrate phase, and purification of methane were studied in the presence of silica-based porous media. Addition of a small amount of colloidal silica media increased considerably the gas storage capacity of the hydrate phase. In the presence of silica-based porous media, the purification factor of CH4 became significantly higher. The results can provide the basis for the storage of natural gas in hydrate form and application of the hydrate-based gas separation technology to achieve methane with high purity from natural gas.