General Properties. - "Acetylene is obtained by the decomposition of calcium carbide in contact with water. Calcium carbide is a gray body, with the hardness of the stone, its density is 2.25 approximately, and its formula being CaC ². It contains pure, 62.5% calcium and 37.5% carbon, it melts at about 3250 °; it is inert with almost all the compounds and organic substances, but, cons, it decomposes water to give lime and acetylene in this reaction, 1kg carbide decomposes theoretically [0.563 liters] of water and produces [348 l / g] acetylene at 0 ° at 760 m / m pressure.
Acetylene is the most carbon-intensive of all hydrocarbons and is a colorless gas with ethereal odor having the formula C ² containing H2 and consequently 92.3% carbon and 7.7% hydrogen. Its density is 0.71, which weighs a liter [1.176 g] and a kilogram holds 850 liters. This gas is formulated in a times its volume of water, oil and turpentine dissolved in 3 volumes, benzene 4, 6 and pure alcohol acetone 25; this solubility increases with pressure.
the industrial point of view, two main properties are: 1 ° By
free burning in air, it provides a flame with a huge lighting power, the products of combustion are water and carbonic acid;
2 ° By combustion in a burner, mixed with an equal volume of hydrogen, it provides a temperature of 4,000 ° above 1000 ° to that of a [torch] oxyhydrogen, the products of combustion are carbon monoxide and hydrogen, highly reducing body.
These two qualities are its main applications: lighting, autogenous welding and cutting.
Applications lighting. - Acetylene gives a nice white light, fixed, does not tiring at the sight because it is close to the sunlight and, in big cities, coal gas and electricity can be preferred for him inconvenience, by cons and it's arguably the best type of lighting for small towns, special installations and portable lighting. [...] As for the lamps, there are thousands and the number grows every day more [Editor's note : 1913 to the time of writing the document]. "
From:" Industrial applications of acetylene. A. Butin, engineer Arts et Manufactures "
