Acetylene is a flammable gas used in chemicals, plastics, and as a fuel for welding and metal cutting torches. Discovered in the 1800s, it was used for lighting and is still used where electric or natural gas light is not possible. Acetylene is produced through a process of combining calcium carbide with water or thermal cracking. When used as a fuel, it is combined with oxygen to produce high temperatures. Acetylene is extremely volatile and must be handled and stored with care.
Acetylene is a colorless, flammable gas that has a distinct garlic odor. It is composed of a mixture of two hydrogen and two carbon atoms and is a member of a group of hydrocarbons known as alkynes or acetylenes. Acetylene is a common component of many chemicals and plastics and is also commonly used as a fuel for both welding and metal cutting torches.
Although discovered in the early 1800s by Edmund Davy, acetylene was not widely used until the late 1800s. While trying to find a cheaper process for making aluminum, a man named Thomas Wilson inadvertently discovered a cheap but effective for making calcium carbide by heating coal and lime in a furnace. Wilson later discovered that combining calcium carbide with water produced acetylene.
This discovery led to the widespread use of gas as a fuel for lighting due to the bright, clear light it produces when burned. Many street lights, interior lights, automobile headlights, lanterns, mine lamps, and other general lighting during the late 1800s and early 1900s were powered by acetylene. It is still used as a lighting fuel in areas where electric or natural gas light is not possible or practical.
Today, there are two main methods for producing acetylene. In addition to combining calcium carbide with water, the gas can also be produced through a process known as thermal cracking. A natural gas, usually methane, is heated in a process that separates the hydrocarbons in the gas. The hydrocarbons are then bound to form a new compound that is different from the original.
When used as a fuel for welding or cutting torches, acetylene is typically combined with oxygen to produce higher temperatures than are possible with acetylene alone. Oxygen-acetylene torches can produce a flame of 6,000 degrees Fahrenheit (3,315.55° Celsius). The high temperature makes oxygen-acetylene torches the only type of welding and cutting torches hot enough to melt all commercial metals.
Acetylene is extremely volatile, as it burns when it comes in contact with oxygen. The properties of the gas are so unstable that even a small leak can have serious consequences. It is therefore very important that it is handled with care and stored correctly. To decrease the potential risk and reduce its volatility, acetylene is typically dissolved in acetone and stored in specially designed tanks with a porous material.
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