The Invention of the Acetylene TORCH !!

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Acetylene is a very good fuel and gives off a lot of heat. Calcium carbide combines with water to form Acetylene and Calcium Hydroxide. 1CaC2 + 2 H2O ==== 1C2H2 + 1 Ca(OH)2 Acetylene is a very good fuel and gives off a lot of heat. Normal burning in air however produces a lot of soot and a very yellow flame.

Soot Evidence of incomplete combustion Acetylene burning at the end of a test tube with water in it. Bright yellow flame… incandescent soot particles

A clean burning flame with adequate oxygen

Not much soot but still inadequate oxygen Incandescent soot particles glow and make the flame yellow

Gases are mixed here Just a seal for a 2 hole stopper Acetylene tube Oxygen tube

Oxygen tank and regulator is expensive but can be used often in class and is worth the cost.

An old iron screen works well as the target of the ACETYLENE TORCH!

Observe the next picture and see if you can tell why one setup is safer to use than the other. Boom?

Students should “stand back” from the other side of the screen.

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