[2] Kobayashi was a diligent researcher who was widely known for his investigations of thermodynamic and transport properties, particularly of natural gas liquids and hydrates.
Later, while teaching at Rice University, he became well known for his pioneering work in phase equilibrium, physical properties and transport properties which were highly important to the development of the natural gas processing industries.
[3] Personally warm and approachable, Dr. Kobayashi was addressed simply as Riki by nearly all of his graduate students throughout his career.
Graduate students who had come directly from Japan were the exception; they used the Japanese honorific "sensei" (teacher), a sign of great respect.
Among these were:[2] The Riki Kobayashi Fellowship in Chemical Engineering was created in his honor.