Abstract:
The hydrate cohesive force is the main factor influencing the size and macroscopic flow characteristics of hydrate aggregates. It is important to have a better understanding on the law and mechanism of change in cohesive force for preventing hydrate plugging. Presently, Micromechanical Force Apparatus(MMF) that can directly determine the cohesive forces from a microscopic view is most widely used to study the adhesion behavior between hydrate particles. Therefore, the current experimental research progress of the hydrate cohesive force based on MMF was summarized. The influence of temperature, contact time of particles, additives and natural components of crude oil on the cohesive force was discussed. Several main problems exposed in the current study, such as the lack of investigation on hydrate quasiliquid layer, the inadequate description on the sintering process of capillary bridge, and the seldom researched synergistic effect between antiagglomerant and natural components of crude oil, were deeply analyzed. In addition, several suggestions were proposed for the future study on hydrate cohesive force in terms of the combination of MMF with the atomic force microscopy and the in-situ Raman spectrum, as well as the combination of MMF with the macroscopic flow experiment, so as to provide some ideas to deepen the hydrate cohesion theory.