Acetylene Gas C2H2 | Properties | Uses | and Facts

Properties Uses and Facts about Acetylene Gas

What is Acetylene

Acetylene is a chemical compound having the chemical formula C₂H₂. Its one molecule contains two atoms of carbon, and two atoms of hydrogen. It is a hydrocarbon and the simplest alkyne. This colorless gas is widely used as a fuel and chemical building block. This gas in its pure form is extremely volatile at a pressure of 15 PSI, so it is usually handled by specialized means. Acetylene gas is known to be the hottest and most efficient fuel gas. Acetylene is the only fuel gas recommended for underground working conditions, as it is lighter than air, so it does not pool in the event of a leakage, creating a serious explosion hazard.

Acetylene Gas C2H2 Properties Uses and Facts

Properties of Acetylene Gas

• Acetylene is a colourless, odorless and extremely flammable gas. Commercial grade acetylene may have an ethereal or garlic-like odor.
• Its density is 1.1 kg per cubic meter.
• Its melting point is -82.22 degree Celsius.
• Its boiling point is -75 degree Celsius.
• Acetylene gas is extremely unstable at a pressure of more than 15 PSI, at this pressure this gas decomposes and starts breaking down into its basic elements hydrogen and carbon. A lot of heat is generated during this reaction, so that this gas can ignite effectively even without the presence of air or oxygen, causing a huge explosion.
• Acetylene reacts with active metals (eg, copper, silver and mercury) to form explosive acetylide compounds.
• Acetylene burns in air with a yellow sooty flame and also produces carbon monoxide. If acetylene is ignited with an excess of oxygen, it burns with a very hot blue flame with a temperature of about 3000 °C.

Uses of Acetylene Gas

• The most common use of acetylene is as a raw material for the production of various organic chemicals, which are widely used in the preparation of polyurethane and polyester plastics.
• Acetylene has low moisture content, so this fuel gas is a good choice for many important heating processes, such as flame heating, flame gouging, welding, flame hardening, flame cleaning, flame straightening, thermal spraying, spot-heating, brazing, texturing , Profile-cutting, Branding Wooden Pallets, Wood-aging and Carbon coating etc.
• Some commercially useful acetylene compounds include acetylene black, which is used in some dry-cell batteries, and acetylenic alcohol, which is used in the synthesis of vitamins.
• In the early years of its history (circa 1890–1900) it was used extensively as a light for trains and city streets.

Facts about Acetylene Gas

• Acetylene is produced commercially from natural gas by the thermal cracking process, as well as by reacting calcium carbide and water.
• Acetylene is obtained as a by-product during the production of ethylene.
• Acetylene is a highly flammable and explosive gas, and it is extremely sensitive to high pressure, at high pressure this gas decomposes into its elemental elements, in the process generating a lot of heat, which can lead to explosion. Therefore, acetylene gas is stored in specially designed containers only.
• Acetylene was used as a source of light in the early 1900s. In one type of acetylene lamp, water was allowed to drop at a controlled rate on a solid block of calcium carbide. The acetylene produced then passed into an ignition chamber, where it burned with a brilliant white light when ignited.
• Acetylene was discovered by British chemistry professor Edmund Davy in 1836.

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