Methane Hydrate Decomposition Experiments by Microwave Irradiation

Abstract

Preliminary experiments were performed to decompose hydrate structures under the high intensity microwave irradiations. When methane hydrate (MH) of about 30 g at a liquid nitrogen temperature (-196 °C) was irra-diated with a microwave of 500 W for 10 seconds, the mass decreased. It can be presumed that this is a mass loss due to the decomposition of MH and the release of methane. Experiments were conducted between -196 °C and -180 °C, although the temperature must be raised to -76 °C to pyrolyze MH. We think that this is the de-composition of microwaves by “work”.