RESEARCH ON THE KINETICS OF CO2 HYDRATE FORMATION AND DISSOCIATION IN “DRY WATER” WITH SURFACTANTS TO ASSESS THE APPLICABILITY OF BURIAL TECHNOLOGY IN PERMAFROST

Kibkalo, A. A., Korneva, L. N., Molokitina, N. S.

Institute of the Earth Cryosphere, Tyumen Scientific Centre of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences

The article was received on February 4, 2026

Bibliographic description: Kibkalo A. A., Korneva L. N., Molokitina N. S. Research on the Kinetics of CO2 Hydrate Formation and Dissociation in “Dry Water” with Surfactants to Assess the Applicability of Burial Technology in Permafrost. Arctic: Ecology and Economy, 2026, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 374—384. DOI: 10.25283/2223-4594-2026-16-3-374-384. (In Russian).

Abstract:  The study focuses on developing an environmental friendly technology for capturing and storing carbon dioxide in the form of gas hydrates for Arctic conditions, where global warming and permafrost degradation pose serious environmental and economic risks. Modified “dry water” systems (water microdroplets stabilized by hydrophobic silicon nanoparticles) supplemented with a biodegradable promoter such as soy lecithin, is proposed as a promising solution. Experiments have shown that such a system (with a nanoparticle content of 5wt. % and lecithin — 0.5 wt. %) retains flowability and provides a high contact area between gas and water, accelerating hydrate formation. At the same time, the addition of lecithin slightly speeds up the process, but increases the stability of the hydrates: after exposure at –5°C, the system retains 9% more carbon dioxide compared to the unmodified analog. The key advantage is environmental safety and adaptation to Arctic conditions, where low temperatures favor the hydrate stabilization. However, practical implementation requires further research to optimize the composition and study the long-term hydrate stability under natural conditions. The research confirms the potential of hydrate technologies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and safely bury carbon in the permafrost zone.

Keywords: permafrost, global warming, carbon dioxide utilization, gas hydrates, carbon dioxide, kinetics, gas hydrate technologies

Funding:  This work was performed by the Earth Cryosphere Institute of the Tyumen Scientific Centre of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS) within the framework of a state assignment from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (Project no. FWRZ-2024-0003).

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