Effects of multi-walled carbon nanotubes on microstructure transformation of water before carbon dioxide hydrate formation

There is no consensus on the micro mechanism of gas hydrate formation. The essence of water conversion into hydrates is the transformation of disorderly arranged water into the water with specific structure under a certain condition. This study used different multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as solid promoters for gas hydrate formation. By comparing the effects of nanotubes modified with hydroxyl, carboxyl and amidogen on the microstructure transformation of water before CO2 hydrate formation, the micro mechanism and influence rules of gas hydrate formation were systematically study. The results indicated that the conversion of water to hydrates mainly manifested as the mutual conversion of strong/weak hydrogen bonding water. Due to the Brownian motion and dispersion of MWCNTs, the hydrogen bonds of the weak hydrogen-bonded water weakened (the corresponding peak blue shifts), and the distance between water molecules (dO−O) expanded, forming relatively loose hydrate, which was conducive to gas diffusion in the solid hydrate phase and increased the final gas consumption. Meanwhile, the strengthening of strong hydrogen bonded water increased the rate of hydrate formation.