Design of a Liquid Impregnated Surface with a Stable Lubricant Layer in a Mixed Water/Oil Environment for Low Hydrate Adhesion

Clathrate hydrate is a naturally occurring icelike solid that forms in the water phase under suitable temperature and pressure conditions in the presence of one or more hydrophobic molecules. It also forms inside the oil and gas pipes, leading to higher pumping cost, flow blockage, and even catastrophic accidents. Engineered surfaces with low hydrate adhesion can provide an effective solution to this problem. Liquid impregnated surfaces (LIS) are examples of engineered surfaces that have already shown tremendous potential for reducing the nucleation and adhesion of solids. Here, we report the design and synthesis of liquid impregnated surfaces with extremely low hydrate adhesion under an oil and water mixed environment. The most challenging aspect of designing these surfaces was to stabilize a lubricant layer simultaneously under water and oil. A detailed methodology to make such lubricant-stable surfaces from a theoretical perspective was described and experimentally validated for lubricant stability. Experimental measurements on such surfaces showed extremely low hydrate accumulation and one order of magnitude or more reduction in hydrate adhesion force.