Micro-Tomographic Investigation of Ice and Clathrate Formation and Decomposition under Thermodynamic Monitoring

Clathrate hydrates are inclusion compounds in which guest molecules are trapped in a host lattice formed by water molecules. They are considered an interesting option for future energy supply and storage technologies. In the current paper, time lapse 3D micro computed tomographic (µCT) imaging with ice and tetrahydrofuran (THF) clathrate hydrate particles is carried out in conjunction with an accurate temperature control and pressure monitoring. µCT imaging reveals similar behavior of the ice and the THF clathrate hydrate at low temperatures while at higher temperatures (3 K below the melting point), significant differences can be observed. Strong indications for micropores are found in the ice as well as the THF clathrate hydrate. They are stable in the ice while unstable in the clathrate hydrate at temperatures slightly below the melting point. Significant transformations in surface and bulk structure can be observed within the full temperature range investigated in both the ice and the THF clathrate hydrate. Additionally, our results point towards an uptake of molecular nitrogen in the THF clathrate hydrate at ambient pressures and temperatures from 230 K to 271 K.