| abstract |
The present invention relates to an additive, and its use for inhibiting nucleation, growth and agglomeration of gas hydrates by adding an effective amount of an inhibitor to a multiphasic mixture which tends to hydrate formation and consists of water, gas and optionally condensate, or to a drilling fluid which tends to form gas hydrates. Said inhibitor comprising dialkoxylated quaternary ammonium compounds of the formula 1 n nwhere R 1 , R 2 are each independently radicals of the formulae—(B)—(O—A) n —O—CO—R 5 or —(A—O) n —(C)—CO—O—R 5 , R 3 is C 1 - to C 30 -alkyl or C 2 - to C 30 -alkenyl, R 4 is an organic radical which optionally contains heteroatoms and has from 1 to 100 carbon atoms, R 5 is an alkyl or an alkenyl, n is a number from 1 to 20, A is an alkylene group, B is an alkylene group, C is a C 1 - to C 6 -alkylene group and X is an anion, are used as gas hydrate inhibitors. |