Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road,Mail Stop 285, Menlo Park, CA 94025-3591

B -- PROF. SERVICES INVOLVING THEORETICAL PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY OF INORGANIC SYSTEMS SOL 99-7460-3135 DUE 010899 POC Diane Ludeke/(650)329-4173 WEB: NA, NA. E-MAIL: click here to contact the CO via email, dludeke@wr.usgs.gov. This purchase order modification is an extension of research services involving the physical chemistry of gas hydrates. A Ph.D. is required. Specific tasks involve the development of methodologies and measurements of the rates of decomposition of methane hydrate at atmospheric pressure. A report on that work is expected by the end of 1999. New work will cover similar experiments at elevated methane pressure using a back-pressure regulator. Tasks will include but not limited to the following: 1) provide design assistance of the back-pressure regulator system. 2) develop the application of the regulator to the flowmeter measurements of the rates of hydrate decomposition both for isobaric temp scanning and fixed pressure temp conditions. 3) conduct a suite of 20-30 decomposition experiements at pressures between the equilibrium line and 1 atm. 4) reduce experiemental data to mass flow vs. time and mass flow vs temp plots. 5) write a report on the results of these experiments and submit it by Dec 99. Posted 12/29/98 (W-SN284016). (0363)

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