Indian Journal of Science and Technology

Abstract

Objectives: In natural gas transmission pipelines hydrate formation is major flow assurance challenge. This communuication presents as brief review focuses on the potentially applicable area of Ammonium based compounds (ACs) as gas hydrate inhibition. Methods/Statistical Analysis: For avoiding gas hydrate formation, oil and gas industry spent millions of dollar annually without any permanent solution. In most of the cases insertion of chemicals (inhibitor) established as the utmost supreme route for gas hydrate mitigation. Quantary ammonium salts had widely been applied as commercial hydrate inhibitors. Ammonium based Ionic Liquids (AILs) also recently applies as work as potential gas hydrate inhibitor for hydrate mitigation. Findings: The systematic review on ACs proves that higher concentration of ACs provides more effective thermodynamic inhibition. The alkyl chain length of ACs playsan important part, as the chain length increases it decrease their effectiveness as inhibitors. Usually, imidazolium based ILs employed as gas hydrate inhibitors contains fluorinated anions which categorized as toxic compound. ACs holds the strong tendency to act as the dual function chemical inhibitor for possible replacement of widely used imidazolium based ILs due to their cheaper source, easy synthesis along with fairly better environmentally friendly nature. Application/Improvements: This study will highlight the recent advancements achieved in the field of ACs, highlighting the vigorous prospects of ACs as potential gas hydrate inhibitors and provide the avenue to accomplish flow assurance problems caused due to gas hydrates.

Keywords: Ammonium based Compounds (ACs), AIL, Gas Hydrate, Inhibitors, KHI, THI