A review of the gas hydrate phase transition with a microfluidic approach

Over the years, natural gas hydrates (NGHs) have attracted significant attention as an emerging energy resource. Microfluidics is a novel technology used to observe the behaviour of NGHs in microchannels directly and has been applied to hydrates. Gas hydrate distributions and phase transitions are key parameters for exploitation and application. In this paper, advances in related research with microfluidics-based technology are reviewed, including the hydrate phase transition process and its mechanism of influence. Hydrate formation and decomposition directly influence the efficiency and sustainability of exploitation. In addition, studies of the hydrate phase transition provide basic data for future commercial exploitation. Moreover, extended applications, further developments and potential improvements in microfluidic techniques are also discussed. We believe that with an improved understanding of the hydrate phase transition mechanism, commercial exploitation of hydrates can be expected soon.