Acetylene is a colorless gas and has lighter properties than atmospheric air. It is a by-product of a chemical reaction between calcium carbide and water. The use of acetylene is quite common in several industries. In comparison, acetylene is the most efficient and one of the hottest gases. Predominantly, the use of acetylene has become standard in heating processes.

History of Acetylene

As a raw material, acetylene has become an important chemical product in the 21st century. The history of acetylene dates back to the 20th century as a major illuminant for city streets and trains. Ultimately, it soon became clear that acetylene burns with oxygen and renders a hot flame. In no time, acetylene became the most used chemical product to join metals.

Current Use of Acetylene

Currently, acetylene is used through pressured cylinders that contain a combination of acetone, stabilizers, asbestos, or diatomaceous earth. Another safe way to transport acetylene is a sealed container of granular calcium carbide and without water.

Manufacturing of Acetylene

Today, there is a massive production of acetylene as a commodity chemical. The mass production of acetylene is for building plants and petrochemical uses in different industries. In a modern sense, acetylene poses little to no risk for standardized plants and processes.

Fundamentally, there are two conversion processes to create acetylene. One is through a chemical reaction at regular temperatures and the other is the thermal cracking process that occurs at high temperatures.

Acetylene Use Cases in Different Industries

Plastics Industry
You may not be aware of it, but manufacturers use acetylene for other chemicals like hydrochloric acid and chlorine. The idea is to produce multiple plastic variants such as PVDF and PVC. Mostly, the use of these plastics is quite common to create various commercial and household style products.

Welding and Metal Fabrication
Sure, there is significant use of propane because it is less expensive and more accessible than acetylene. Still, many welding companies continue to use a huge amount of acetylene. And that’s because it is an ideal fuel gas for welding steel, metal materials, spot heating, and cutting. Welding companies also use acetylene for thermal spraying, flame cleaning, and flame hardening materials.

Scientific Research
The use of acetylene also takes place in different types of scientific studies. Scientists use acetylene to volatilize carbon in a radiocarbon timeline to establish the age of carbon items.

Final Thoughts

As newly developed applications come into the spotlight, acetylene use will also increase gradually in the foreseeable future. For starters, one such application is the acetylene conversion to ethylene in the production of different types of polyethylene plastics.

The need for high-quality acetylene has never been more relevant than now. And nexAir wants to become the primary supplier of acetylene for different industries. nexAir understands the history and use cases of acetylene and wants to deliver top-grade acetylene.