1. The Invention
of the
Acetylene
TORCH !!

2. Click here for the next page

3. 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 ==== 1C2H 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.

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

5. A clean burning flame with adequate oxygen

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

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

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

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

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

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

12. Click on picture to start movie; click here to stop