| Abstract: | Freon 11 gas hydrate was used to block the pores of four size ranges of sand from 24 mesh to 60 mesh. A 50.8 mm deep bed of sand when thus “frozen” with hydrate could sustain a dfferential water pressure of at least 6895 kPa. A subcooling of about 5 to 6°C below its thermodynamic formation temperature was required to cause the hydrate to form such a plug. Once formed, the hydrate remained stable at temperatures up to its decomposition temperature. The time required for the hydrate crystal to grow to a size large enough to block the pores of the bed was about two hours. The amount of hydrate forming agent required to block the sand pores was found to be approximately that calculated from the ideal composition of the hydrate. |
