Three-Dimensional-Printed Polymeric Cores for Methane Hydrate Enhanced Growth

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Methane hydrates are potential energy resources and present challenges in gas production.
• 3D printing offers novel approaches for creating controlled porous structures for hydrate formation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of different 3D printed polymer core materials on methane hydrate formation.
• To understand how polymer properties and pore characteristics influence hydrate growth kinetics and morphology.

Main Methods:

• 3D printing of polymer cores using various filaments (PLA, ABS, UltraX, PolyFlex, ePC) with a Raise3D Pro2 printer.
• X-ray tomography for characterizing effective porosity and pore volumes.
• Experimental methane hydrate formation using printed cores under controlled water filling conditions.

Main Results:

• Polymer type significantly affects methane hydrate formation, with PLA promoting complete water-to-hydrate conversion.
• Hydrate growth efficiency decreased by two times when pore filling shifted from partial to complete.
• Observed phenomena include controlled growth direction, hydrate crystal expulsion, and growth from cell walls, likely influenced by pore surface hydrophobicity.

Conclusions:

• The selection of 3D printing filament is crucial for tailoring methane hydrate formation processes.
• Polymer hydrophobicity plays a key role in managing hydrate growth direction and kinetics.
• Optimized polymer core design can enhance efficiency and control in methane hydrate formation for potential energy applications.