Experimental determination and modeling of structure II hydrates in mixtures of methane+water+1,4-dioxane

Hydrate phase equilibrium conditions were measured with a Cailletet apparatus in the pressure range 2<14 MPa. The investigated 1,4-dioxane concentrations were 1, 2, 5, 7, 10, 20 and 30 mol% relative to water. The results show that adding 1,4-dioxane up to concentrations of 6 mol%, about the stoichiometric ratio of large sII cages to water (1/17), reduced the equilibrium pressure of hydrate formation. Adding 1,4-dioxane beyond 6 mol% caused a slow increase of the equilibrium pressures. The hydrate phase equilibria data were modeled as equilibrium between a liquid phase of water and 1,4-dioxane, with a small amount of methane, and a sII hydrate of 1,4-dioxane and methane. The chemical potential of the hydrate phase was described using the van der Waals and Platteeuw theory. Activity coefficients of the liquid phase were calculated by a van Laar relation, based on literature 1,4-dioxane+water VLE data. The predicted equilibrium pressures calculated were within 5% of the data up to a concentration of 20 mol% 1,4-dioxane relative to water.