Selective Clathration during the Formation of Gas Hydrates

An account has been given of some new experiments in which mixtures of the heavier inert gases have been partially fractionated by selective clathration at low temperatures in gas hydrates of types I and II. Some previous measurements (8) have also served to give theoretical equilibrium fractionation factors for other binary gas mixtures, and, as with the new results, indicate good fractionations. The preference of the host lattice is for spherical molecules small enough to occupy the cavities and otherwise as condensable as possible.