Kinetics on the dissolution of CO 2 into water from the surface of CO 2 hydrate at high pressure

Kinetic study on the dissolution of CO 2 from the surface of a liquid CO 2 droplet in water was conducted, and a mechanism of the decay of CO 2 hydrate was proposed. The model was applied to the experimental data which showed that the radius of liquid CO 2 droplets in water reduced linearly with time. It was proved that the dissolution rate of CO 2 into water is dominated by the decay of CO 2 hydrate on the surface of the droplet. The rate constant of the decay of CO 2 hydrate was estimated to be 1.25 × 10 −6 m s −1 . From a viewpoint of liquid CO 2 disposal in the deep ocean, it is predicted that the thin membrane of CO 2 hydrate at the interface between seawater and liquid CO 2 will control the dissolution of CO 2 into seawater. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.