Professor Kun-Hong Lee (CE), Jeong-Hoon Sa (CE Ph.D. candidate), and Dr. Kunwoo Han and his crew (RIST) found an effective method of inhibiting the for- mation of gaseous hydrate in pipes by using environment-friendly amino acids. Gaseous hydrate, a crystal-like compound formed from gas and water, causes serious blockages in pipes used in transportation of natural gas and oil. This has been one of the main problems in the industry as the entire transport process must be forced to halt immediately, and it is both uneconomical and time-consuming to locate its exact location and to remove its blockage.
Methanol and ethylene glycol have previously been used as inhibitors, but they are considered to be undesirable as they are required in large quantities and are poisonous, which may lead to disastrous pollution in cases of leakage. Use of amino acid, however, poses no health threat.
POSTECH-RIST will be further collaborating on research on hydrate-related technology, especially on sea water desalination as well as on storage and transportation of carbon dioxide.
The study was published in Scientific Reports on Aug. 13.