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Interfacial Effects during Phase Change in Multiple Levitated Tetrahydrofuran Hydrate Droplets
Adam McElligott1, André Guerra1, Alexia Denoncourt1
1Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0C5, Canada.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|January 20, 2023
Summary
Simultaneous freezing of tetrahydrofuran (THF) hydrate droplets revealed interdroplet nucleation effects. High growth rates caused optical clarity loss and significant volumetric expansion during solidification.
Area of Science:
- Crystallization science
- Materials science
- Fluid dynamics
Background:
- Acoustic levitation enables studying crystal nucleation without solid interfaces.
- Simultaneous droplet levitation offers new insights into interdroplet effects and interfacial nucleation.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the simultaneous freezing of multiple tetrahydrofuran (THF) hydrate droplets for the first time.
- Explore nucleation mechanisms, including pseudo-heterogeneous pathways.
- Analyze the phenomena of optical clarity loss (OCL) and volumetric expansion during THF hydrate formation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized direct digital and infrared imaging techniques.
- Examined the freezing behavior of up to three simultaneous THF hydrate droplets.
- Observed nucleation initiation at the aqueous solution-air interface.
Main Results:
- Nucleation occurred statistically simultaneously between droplets in different positions.
- Pseudo-heterogeneous nucleation was observed due to microbubbles and hydrate-nucleating particles (HNPs).
- THF hydrate droplets exhibited significant volumetric expansion (23.6%) and optical clarity loss (OCL) attributed to trapped air bubbles.
Conclusions:
- Simultaneous nucleation in multiple droplets may be driven by interfacial pressures and released HNPs.
- Optical clarity loss and increased volumetric expansion are linked to rapid hydrate growth and bubble entrapment.
- Melting-induced thermal gradients drive convective cells, causing droplet rotation.
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