環境問題とガスハイドレート結晶成長研究(<小特集>環境問題と結晶成長)

抄録

Gas hydrate crystal is one of the clathrate compounds in which a large number of gas molecules are trapped inside well-defined cages formed by water molecules' Huge amount of gas hydrates naturally exists in the sediments of deep seas and of the permafrost, which are expected to be one of the future resources or the sources of the carbon cycle Recently gas hydrates are also expected to be applied to the engineering utilization or to the functional material agree to the environment. To estimate the effect of the gas hydrates on the global environments and on the human activities, the knowledge of the crystallographic characteristics and of the growth mechanisms are important. This paper overviews the recent activities of the hydrate study the order of the growth mechanisms.