Difference between revisions of "Acetylene"
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'''Acetylene''' (chemical formula C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>2</sub>) is a flammable gas used for welding and cutting. It is far too powerful for a spudgun, and its use can result in injury or death. There are also dangers that are unique to acetylene, because the molecule contains an unstable and energetic triple bond that is easily broken. | '''Acetylene''' (chemical formula C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>2</sub>) is a flammable gas used for welding and cutting. It is far too powerful for a spudgun, and its use can result in injury or death. There are also dangers that are unique to acetylene, because the molecule contains an unstable and energetic triple bond that is easily broken. | ||
Revision as of 15:59, 31 May 2006
Acetylene (chemical formula C2H2) is a flammable gas used for welding and cutting. It is far too powerful for a spudgun, and its use can result in injury or death. There are also dangers that are unique to acetylene, because the molecule contains an unstable and energetic triple bond that is easily broken.
Acetylene is a very reactive gas, with a flammability limit of 2.5 to 100% in air. It can decompose spontaneously with no air present, if there is an ignition source, or simply if the pressure of the gas exceeds 15 psi. Because of this it is more prone to detonation than any other gas. Acetylene is also very sensitive to static electricity, and it comes out of the tank dry which means that plastic materials containing the gas get charged easily.
In addition to these dangers, the gas doesn't even contain as much energy per volume as propane, it's gross calorific value is 56000 kJ/m2 as opposed to propane's 101000 kJ/m2. The destructive power comes from the extremely rapid release of energy, which creates very high pressure spikes.
