Hydrate nucleation and growth on water droplets acoustically-levitated in high-pressure natural gas.

Hydrate formation was studied using water droplets acoustically levitated in high-pressure natural gas. Despite the absence of solid interfaces, the droplets' area-normalised nucleation rate was about four times faster than in steel autoclave measurements with interfacial areas roughly 200 times larger. Multiple stages of stochastic, template-free hydrate growth were observed.