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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