The partition coefficients of ethylene between vapor and hydrate phase for methane + ethylene + THF + water systems

The vapor-hydrate equilibria were studied experimentally in detail for CH4 + C2H4 + tetrahydrofuran (THF) + water systems in the temperature range of 273.15–282.15 K, pressure range of 2.0–4.5 MPa, the initial gas–liquid volume ratio range of 45–170 standard volumes of gas per volume of liquid and THF concentration range of 4–12 mol%. The results demonstrated that, because of the presence of THF, ethylene was remarkably enriched in vapor phase instead of being enriched in hydrate phase for CH4 + C2H4 + water system. This conclusion is of industrial significance; it implies that it is feasible to enrich ethylene from gas mixture, e.g., various kinds of refinery gases or cracking gases in ethylene plant, by forming hydrate.