Effect of thermal history on lattice expansion and guest distribution of tetrahydrofuran clathrate hydrate with air molecules

Abstract

Air hydrates can form under the high-pressure and low-temperature conditions found in deep ice sheets of the Arctic and Antarctic regions. These hydrates can play a major role in the analysis of data gathered in these regions. Through this Letter, we investigate on thermal expansivity and guest-molecule dynamics of THF + air clathrate hydrate provided by a neutron scattering experiment and address two noteworthy features. First is the effect of thermal history on host water-lattice expansion and related gas-inclusion effect on thermal expansion coefficients. Second is the changes in guest-molecule distribution during the degassing process caused by thermal stimulation.