A Review of the Effect of Porous Media on Gas Hydrate Formation

Most gas hydrates on the earth are in sediments and permafrost areas, and porous media are often used industrially as additives to improve gas hydrate formation. For further understanding its exploration and exploitation under natural conditions and its application in industry, it is necessary to study the effect of porous media on hydrate formation. The results show that the stacked porous media affects the phase equilibrium of hydrate formation depending on the competition water activity and large specific surface areas, while integrated porous media, such as metal foam, can transfer the hydration heat rapidly and moderate the hydrate phase equilibrium. A supersaturated metal–organic framework is able to significantly improve gas storage performance and can be used as a new material to promote hydrate formation. However, the critical particle size should be studied further for approaching the best promotion effect. In addition, together with the kinetic accelerators, porous media has a synergistic effect on gas hydrate formation. The carboxyl and hydroxyl groups on the surface of porous media can stabilize hydrate crystals through hydrogen bonding. However, the hydroxyl radicals on the silica surface inhibit the combination of CH4 and free water, making the phase equilibrium conditions more demanding.