Applications of acetylene in welding and industry

Acetylene was discovered in the 19th century and remains an important industrial gas to this day. Today this hydrocarbon is in demand in metal processing, chemical synthesis and some special technical tasks.

What is acetylene?

Under normal conditions, acetylene is a colorless gas. Technical acetylene may have an unpleasant sharp odor because of impurities. When strongly cooled, acetylene changes to liquid and solid states. The fields and areas of acetylene application are so broad because of its unique properties. At the same time, the gas is explosive: mixtures of acetylene with air can ignite from a spark, so it is stored and used in compliance with special safety requirements.

Use of acetylene in metal processing

Today acetylene is most often used in gas welding, brazing and metal cutting. The working flame is formed in an oxy-acetylene torch. Its temperature can exceed 3000 degrees Celsius, so it is suitable for heating, melting and cutting steel.

Flame cleaning with acetylene makes it possible to obtain a metal surface free of dirt and corrosion. This method cleans metal well before subsequent processing. Brazing with hard solder, which also uses this compound, makes it possible to join materials of different structures.

Other applications of acetylene

In addition to welding and metal processing, acetylene has many other fields of application. The chemical industry uses it in organic synthesis to obtain solvents, polymers, rubbers, carbon black and other products. In modern technologies, some old acetylene processes have been replaced by cheaper petrochemical raw materials, but the gas itself still remains an important industrial reagent.

In the past, carbide lamps that worked on the basis of an acetylene flame were widely used. Such lamps equipped transport, mines, lighthouses and other objects where an autonomous light source was needed. Their use is now limited because electric light sources have become more convenient and safer.