Synthesis of new CO₂ hydrate inhibitors

Gas hydrate is a crystalline compound made of water and mainly of gases methane and carbon dioxide under specific conditions of pressure and temperature. Increasing worldwide petroleum exploitation in deep waters, where these conditions are encountered, favours the precipitation of gas hydrate in seafloor pipelines, resulting in partial or total obstruction of petroleum flow. Brazil's largest petroleum reserves of the pre-salt interval, for example, are located in ultra-deep waters (>1500 m) and may have a gas composition of up to 80% of CO2. Huge investments are necessary to inhibit the formation of gas hydrate and to assure petroleum flow in pipelines. Here we present the results of the synthesis of new organic compounds obtained from L-Threonine, which show a high potential to be used as CO2 hydrate inhibitors. This characteristic is related to the increase carbon chain in each molecule (higher hydrophobicity) leading to a reduction on CO2 solubility in water. In addition to that, our study also shows the occurrence of the "salting out effect" and reduced water activity coefficient.