Acetylene a highly explosive gas & should be handled with care: Bhartiya Cryogas

04

Dec

Acetylene a highly explosive gas & should be handled with care: Bhartiya Cryogas

Shantanu Sen

Acetylene is a highly explosive gas so it must be stored and handled with great care. It must be stored in a well-ventilated building, preferably one made of brick or masonry. Acetylene cylinders must never be left exposed to the weather. Acetylene cylinders should not be stored where there will be shifting of temperature.

Acetylene cylinders contain carbon in triple or quadruple bond form making the molecule bulky and hard to compress. If a large enough quantity of acetylene is present in a confined space, it may become unstable and explode. Acetylene is heavier than air and can potentially collect at floor level if there is not adequate ventilation.

Since Acetylene is widely used in welding, brazing, soldering and cutting, Acetylene cylinders should be stored upright outdoors, well away from combustible materials and any source of ignition (eg. a hot air blower). Cylinders containing acetylene must be clearly labelled as containing acetylene to avoid accidental exposure to other gases such as oxygen or propane.

Moreover when acetylene is pressurized and stored for use in oxy-acetylene welding and metal cutting operations, special storage cylinders should be used. These cylinders are filled with an absorbent material, like diatomaceous earth, and a small amount of acetone. The acetylene is pumped into the cylinders at a pressure of about 300 psi (pound per square inch) (2,070 kPa), where it is dissolved in the acetone. Once dissolved, it loses its explosive capability, making it safe to transport. When the cylinder valve is opened, the pressure drop causes some of the acetylene to vaporize into gas again and flow through the connecting hose to the welding or cutting torch.

According to Bhartiya Cryogas, a leading manufacturer of Acetylene plants India when the gas is transported through pipelines, the pressure should be kept very low and the length of the pipeline should be very short. Because of its volatile nature, in most chemical production operations, the acetylene is transported only as far as an adjacent plant or "over the fence" as they say in the chemical processing business.

The ten decade old Bhartiya Group of Companies with track record of providing services for the prestigious UN Missions provides Engineering Services, Installation and Functional Testing of Projects, Spares, Accessories and Ancillaries for Gas Manufacturing of Plants, assessment of used plants for up gradation, annual maintenance contract of Oxygen plants.

The reputed company is also leading commercial supplier of Medium Pressure Oxygen/ Nitrogen Gas/ Liquid plants, Low Pressure Oxygen/ Nitrogen Gas/ Liquid plants, Medical PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) Oxygen Plants, VPSA (Vacuum Pressure Swing Adsorption) Oxygen/ Nitrogen Generators, Hi- Tech Acetylene Plant, Nitrous Oxide Plants, CO2 Plants, Cylinder Filling station etc.

There are several types of pants fabricated and supplied by Bhartiya Cryogas. They are:

CRYOGENICS

1) Medium Pressure Oxygen/Nitrogen Gas/Liquid Plants

2) Low Pressure Oxygen/Nitrogen Gas/Liquid Plants

PRESSURE SWING ADSORPTION (PSA)

1) PSA/VPSA Oxygen/Nitrogen Generators

INDUSTRIAL GAS PLANTS

1) Hi-tech Acetylene plants

2) Nitrous Oxide plants

3) CO2 plants

4) Cylinder Filling Station