# Dispersion forces stabilise ice coatings at certain gas hydrate interfaces which prevent water wetting

## TL;DR

This study reveals that dispersion forces create thin ice films on gas hydrate particles, affecting their stability, buoyancy, and interactions with water, with implications for climate, energy, and planetary science.

## Contribution

It demonstrates that dispersion forces induce ice coatings on gas hydrates, influencing their physical behavior and interactions at interfaces, a novel insight into hydrate stability.

## Key findings

- Ice films alter hydrate buoyancy and contact with water.
- Dispersion forces influence hydrate growth and gas leakage.
- Ice coatings impact hydrate stability in natural environments.

## Abstract

Gas hydrates formed in oceans and permafrost occur in vast quantities on Earth representing both a massive potential fuel source and a large threat in climate forecasts. They have been predicted to be important on other bodies in our solar systems such as Enceladus, a moon of Saturn. CO$_2$-hydrates likely drive the massive gas-rich water plumes seen and sampled by the spacecraft Cassini, and the source of these hydrates is thought to be due to buoyant gas hydrate particles. Dispersion forces cause gas hydrates to be coated in a 3-4 nm thick film of ice, or to contact water directly, depending on which gas they contain. These films are shown to significantly alter the properties of the gas hydrate clusters, for example, whether they float or sink. It is also expected to influence gas hydrate growth and gas leakage.