How does the increase in water salinity affect the formation of hydrate? For aqueous solutions of KCl and NaCl, which of the solutions has more influencing power on hydrate formation?
Good question. Salt is a hydrate inhibitor and changes the thermodynamic stability of natural gas hydrate due to fact that the resulting ions in the aqueous solution of the salt will reduce the chemical potential of liquid water and for sufficiently high concentration of ions the water will be more stable as liquid. The natural level of salinity increases with depth in a reservoir. In addition formation of hydrate will lead to increased salinity of the fluids surrounding the formed hydrate. This may lead to liquid pockets of residual aqueous solution with increased salinity as well as very non-uniform hydrate. Salt have two different effect: 1. Reduce surfactant adsorption onto hydrate particle surfaces 2. Thermodynamic inhibitory effect. That way, it seems that NaCl solutions has more influencing power. But definitely it depends on the salt concentrations. Please also read the attach PDF.
Thanks for your answer. But for a connate water with both KCl and NaCl, is it advisable to consider the effects of both salts or only NaCl?
I think, you may consider the both salts as concentration of the salts are more important.
Without any iota of doubt NaCl has many fold stronger hydrate forming ability compared to KCl. This is infact , the reason , sodic soils remain so deflocculated ...
More hydrate formation and stronger hydrate formation , especially with NaCl , will lead to more deflocculation /dispersion of soil particles..
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