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Fuel 87 (2008) 3158

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Fuel
j o u r n a l h o m e p a g e : w w w . f u e l fi r s t . c o m

Book review
Clathrate Hydrates of Natural Gases, third ed., E. Dendy Sloan, A.
Koh Carolyn. Chemical Industries Series. CRC Press (2007). 752 p.,
130, Hardcover
Clathrate hydrates are a class of water based crystalline solids
that are, broadly speaking, structurally similar to ice. In the presence of guest molecules, typically low molecular weight gases
(including O2, H2, N2, CO2, CH4, H2S, Ar, Kr, and Xe) the water molecules form intricate arrays or cages around the guests molecules,
a bit like a ship in a bottle. Without the support of the entrapped
molecules, the lattice structure of hydrate clathrates collapses into
the conventional ice crystal structure or even liquid water
(depending upon T and p). The study of hydrate clathrates is well
established and indeed very active, especially in light of recent
questions regarding the supply of fossil fuels. As one may expect,
the primary literature regarding clathrate hydrates is vast! This
volume offers an authoritative introduction to this fascinating eld
and as such is the ideal rst port of call.
This updated, third edition of Clathrate Hydrates of Natural
Gases, is a comprehensive volume that is aimed at readers from
both industry and indeed academia. As such it provides a source
for readers of all levels of previous exposure to this fascinating
subject. As a new reader to the eld, I particularly appreciated
the preface in which the authors not only set the contextual background to the subject but also provided a readers guide for both
engineers and researchers, thereby facilitating the easy navigation
through the volume in the most efcient way!
The volume is logically structured with the earlier chapters
addressing both a historical overview of the study of hydrates dating right back to work of Humphrey Davy in the early 1800s
(Chapter 1) and the fundamental structural elements of hydrates
and classication thereof (Chapter 2). The middle section of the
book (Chapters 3 through 6), address the production and thermodynamic stability of clathrate hydrates, a topic that has for many
years been the focus of much activity. These sections give a concise
overview of the current understanding of clathrate hydrate growth
mechanism (Chapter 3) and the characterisation of both naturally
retrieved samples and laboratory prepared materials including a
wide variety of guests including hydrocarbons and other natural
gases (Chapter 6). Chapters 4, 5 and indeed 7 are focused on the
thermodynamic stability of clathrate hydrates, a topic of interest
to many engineers and academics alike. Chapters 4 and 5 introduce

doi:10.1016/j.fuel.2008.03.028

many of the advanced concepts of phase equillibria and offer the


reader a balanced but comprehensive guide to the use of off the
peg software packages including ASPEN PLUSTM in the prediction
of these fundamental properties based upon statistical thermodynamics. The value of these chapters is very much appreciated
when moving on to the nal sections of the book that are focused
on real life examples from both the natural environment (Chapter 7) and industry (Chapter 8). Speaking as an individual reader, I
found these last 2 chapters the most engaging, however a working
knowledge of all that came before was essential to gain maximum
benet.
Prior to reading this title, my exposure to clathrate hydrates
was very limited; I had attended a number of excellent faculty lectures and indeed read a number of articles in the popular scientic
press. Consequently I was aware of some of the environmental issues associated with clathrate hydrate stability and their potential
as a source for natural gas. However, I was not so familiar with the
relative fragility of hydrate reserves or the potential threats that
they can become, especially in the case of unwanted clathrate hydrate formation in high pressure/depth drillings and pipelines. In
summary, I would say that this book is very thorough and indeed
educational. I think it is fair to say that it is heavy reading in parts
(especially the sections introducing predictive methodology), however as with many subjects of interest, where there is no pain,
there is no gain!
Pete Licence is a Lecturer in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
The University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK. His current
research interests include the development of sustainable reaction
chemistries in alternative solvent systems particularly supercritical
uids and room temeperature ionic liquids.
Peter Licence
School of Chemistry,
University of Nottingham,
University Park,
Nottingham NG7 2RD,
UK
Tel.: +44 (0) 115 846 6176
E-mail address: Peter.Licence@nottingham.ac.uk
URL: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/ionicliquids
Available online 28 April 2008

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