ACETELYNE GAS

Acetylene is a highly flammable gas which is colorless, lighter

than air and has a garlic-like odor. Being colorless and
inflammable gas, it is employed as a fuel and a chemical
building block. It remains unstable in pure form so it is usually
handled as a solution. The chemical compound with the
formula C2H2 a compound of carbon and hydrogen. It is not
only a hydrocarbon, but also the simplest alkyne.

Chemical Properties of Acetylene Gas

o Molecular Weight: 26.038

o Specific Volume: 14.7 CF/lb
o Flammable Limits: 2.5-100% in Air
o CGA Valve: 510
o DOT Name: Acetylene, Dissolved
o UN No.: UN1001
o DOT Class: 2.1
o DOT Label: Flammable Gas
o CAS Registry: 74-86-2

The Uses of Acetylene

There are a number of uses of the gas. In fact, the 80% acetylene is produced
annually is employed for chemical synthesis. And rest 20% percent of
Acetylene is employed for a number of functions such as oxyacetylene gas
welding and cutting owing to the high temperature of the flame.

The most common use of acetylene is as a raw material for the production
of various organic chemicals including 1,4-butanediol, which is widely used
in the preparation of polyurethane and polyester plastics. The second most
common use is as the fuel component in oxy-acetylene welding and metal
cutting. Some commercially useful acetylene compounds include acetylene
black, which is used in certain dry-cell batteries, and acetylenic alcohols,
which are used in the synthesis of vitamins.

Discovery of Acetylene Gas

Edmund Davy, a professor of Chemistry and world fame scientist, had

discovered acetylene all the way back in 1836 as a "new carburet of
hydrogen". And in1860, it was re discovered by French chemist Marcellin
Berthelot, who invented the name "acetylene".Marcellin has worked very
hard to create the gas by passing vapours of organic compounds like
methanol, ethanol, etc.via a red-hot tube and collecting the effluent. In
addition, he also succeeded to create it by sparking electricity through mixed
cyanogen and hydrogen gases. The pure gas does not have odor, while
commercial gas has garlic-like odor due to the presence of impurities like
hydrogen sulphide and phosphine.

Raw Materials

For commercial purposes, acetylene can be made from several different raw
materials depending on the process used.
(1) The simplest process reacts calcium carbide with water to produce
acetylene gas and a calcium carbonate slurry, called hydrated lime.
The chemical reaction may be written as CaC 2 + 2 H 2 O → C 2 H 2 +
Ca(OH) 2 .
(2) Other processes use natural gas, which is mostly methane, or a
petroleum-based hydrocarbon such as crude oil, naphtha, or bunker
C oil as raw materials. Coal can also be used. These processes use
high temperature to convert the raw materials into a wide variety of
gases, including hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide,
acetylene, and others. The chemical reaction for converting methane
into acetylene and hydrogen may be written 2 CH 4 → C 2 H 2 + 3 H 2 .
The other gases are the products of combustion with oxygen. In order
to separate the acetylene, it is dissolved in a solvent such as water,
anhydrous ammonia, chilled methanol, or acetone, or several other
solvents depending on the process.

The Manufacturing Process

There are two basic conversion processes used to make acetylene. One is a
chemical reaction process, which occurs at normal temperatures. The other
is a thermal cracking process, which occurs at extremely high temperatures.
Here are typical sequences of operations used to convert various raw
materials into acetylene by each of the two basic processes.

Chemical reaction process

Acetylene may be generated by the chemical reaction between calcium
carbide and water. This reaction produces a considerable amount of heat,
which must be removed to prevent the acetylene gas from exploding. There
are several variations of this process in which either calcium carbide is
added to water or water is added to calcium carbide. Both of these variations
are called wet processes because an excess amount of water is used to
absorb the heat of the reaction. A third variation, called a dry process, uses
only a limited amount of water, which then evaporates as it absorbs the
heat. The first variation is most commonly used in the United States and is
described below.

Equipment Process Description

1. Acetylene Generation
Calcium carbide is fed from the
top of the generator shell where
large quantity of water is already
held and which yields the

following reaction:

2. Cooling
The reaction of calcium carbide
with water is an exothermic
reaction with
∆𝐇°𝐟 = −𝟔𝟎. 𝟔 𝐊𝐉
The raw acetylene gas need to be
cooled.

3. Drying
Removes excess moisture from
acetylene gas.
4. Purifying
The Acetylene purifier removes
impurities like hydrogen sulphite
and phosgene. It is used to
separate hydrogen sulphide and
phosgene that were produced
along with acetylene. A wire mesh
works as a surface for the gases
to separate easily

5. Ammonia Scrubbing
The ammonia scrubber removes
up to 99% ammonia produced. It
is counter system, all the
produced gas pass through the
counter flow of water to remove
ammonia content and any water
soluble gases from acetylene

6. Acetylene Compressing
Boosts acetylene gas up to
cylinder filling pressure.
Acetylene is highly flammable
and so to compress it is highly
dangerous task, but the
technique of water surrounding
and sealing will make
the acetylene compressor work
in sealed environment avoiding
the contact of air.

7. High-Pressure Drying and

Filtering
Removes any left moisture and
filter out particles.
 8. Cylinder Filling or Packaging
The pure compressed acetylene
gas is then filled in to the
cylinders in batches of 6.

Acetylene may be generated by the chemical reaction between calcium carbide and water.
This reaction produces a considerable amount of heat, which must be removed to prevent
the acetylene gas from exploding.

Thermal cracking process

Acetylene may also be generated by raising the temperature of various
hydrocarbons to the point where their atomic bonds break, or crack, in what
is known as a thermal cracking process. After the hydrocarbon atoms break
apart, they can be made to rebond to form different materials than the
original raw materials. This process is widely used to convert oil or natural
gas to a variety of chemicals.
There are several variations of this process depending on the raw materials
used and the method for raising the temperature. Some cracking processes
use an electric arc to heat the raw materials, while others use a combustion
chamber that burns part of the hydrocarbons to provide a flame. Some
acetylene is generated as a coproduct of the steam cracking process used to
make ethylene. In the United States, the most common process uses a
combustion chamber to heat and burn natural gas as described below.

1. Natural gas, which is mostly methane, is heated to about 1,200° F

(650° C). Preheating the gas will cause it to self-ignite once it reaches
the burner and requires less oxygen for combustion.
2. The heated gas passes through a narrow pipe, called a venturi, where
oxygen is injected and mixed with the hot gas.
 3. The mixture of hot gas and oxygen passes through a diffuser, which
slows its velocity to the desired speed. This is critical. If the velocity is
too high, the incoming gas will blow out the flame in the burner. If the
velocity is too low, the flame can flash back and ignite the gas before
it reaches the burner.
4. The gas mixture flows into the burner block, which contains more than
100 narrow channels. As the gas flows into each channel, it self-ignites
and produces a flame which raises the gas temperature to about
2,730° F (1,500° C). A small amount of oxygen is added in the burner
to stabilize the combustion.
5. The burning gas flows into the reaction space just beyond the burner
where the high temperature cause about one-third of the methane to
be converted into acetylene, while most of the rest of the methane is
burned. The entire combustion process takes only a few milliseconds.
6. The flaming gas is quickly quenched with water sprays at the point
where the conversion to acetylene is the greatest. The cooled gas
contains a large amount of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, with
lesser amounts of carbon soot, plus carbon dioxide, acetylene,
methane, and other gases.
7. The gas passes through a water scrubber, which removes much of the
carbon soot. The gas then passes through a second scrubber where it
is sprayed with a solvent known as N-methylpyrrolidinone which
absorbs the acetylene, but not the other gases.
8. The solvent is pumped into a separation tower where the acetylene is
boiled out of the solvent and is drawn off at the top of the tower as a
gas, while the solvent

Acetylene may also be generated by raising the temperature of various hydrocarbons to

the point where their atomic bonds break, or crack, in what is known as a thermal
cracking process.

Storage And Handling

Being a highly explosive gas, it must be stored and handled with proper care.
In order to keep it safe, the pressure is kept low and the length of the pipeline
is kept very short while it is transported through pipelines. Special storage
cylinders are employed to store and carry the gas. The special cylinders are
inculcated with an absorbent material, including diatomaceous earth, and a
small amount of acetone. Once dissolved, it loses its explosive capability,
and thus becomes safe to transport.

Plant Layout

Manufacturing Companies

HYDROGEN GAS
Hydrogen is the most abundant chemical element in the universe, found in
the Sun, other stars and the gas planets in our solar system. It occurs
naturally on Earth, but not in large enough quantities to be produced cost-
competitively. It therefore needs to be separated from other elements.
Currently the dominant technology for direct production is steam
reforming from hydrocarbons. Many other methods are known
including electrolysis and thermolysis.
Physical and Chemical Properties of Hydrogen

Hydrogen gas (dihydrogen or molecular

hydrogen) is highly flammable and will burn in air at a very wide range of
concentrations between 4% and 75% by volume. The enthalpy of
combustion is −286 kJ/mol

The Uses of Hydrogen

It is primarily used to create water. Hydrogen gas can be used for metallic
ore reduction. Chemical industries also use it for hydrochloric acid
production. The same hydrogen gas is required for atomic hydrogen welding
(AHW).
Electrical generators use the gas as a rotor coolant. The element is relied
upon in many manufacturing plants to check for leaks. Hydrogen can be
used on its own or with other elements. Other applications include fossil fuel
processing and ammonia production. Ammonia is part of many household
cleaning products. It is also a hydrogenating agent used to change unhealthy
unsaturated fats to saturated oils and fats.
Hydrogen is also used for methanol production. Tritium is generated in
nuclear reactions. It is a radioactive isotope used to make H-bombs. It can
also be used as a luminous paint radiation source. Tritium is used in
biosciences as an isotopic label.

Discovery of Hydrogen

In 1671, Robert Boyle discovered and described the reaction

between iron filings and dilute acids, which results in the production of
hydrogen gas. In 1766, Henry Cavendish was the first to recognize hydrogen
gas as a discrete substance, by naming the gas from a metal-acid
reaction "inflammable air". He speculated that "inflammable air" was in fact
identical to the hypothetical substance called "phlogiston" and further
finding in 1781 that the gas produces water when burned. He is usually
given credit for the discovery of hydrogen as an element. In 1783, Antoine
Lavoisier gave the element the name hydrogen (from the Greek
ὑδρο- hydro meaning "water" and -γενής genes meaning "creator") when he
and Laplace reproduced Cavendish's finding that water is produced when
hydrogen is burned.

Raw Materials

The choice of production methods will vary depending on the availability of

feedstock or resource, the quantity of hydrogen required, and the required
purity of hydrogen. Researchers are developing a wide range of processes for
producing hydrogen economically and in an environmentally friendly way.
The Manufacturing Process

STEAM METHANE REFORMING, SMR

The steam methane reforming (SMR) process is the most widespread

method to generate hydrogen-rich synthesis gas from light carbohydrates.
The feed material can be natural gas, liquid gas or naphta. They are
converted endothermically with steam into synthesis gas in catalytic tube
reactors. Process heat as well as flue gases are used for the generation of
steam.

Process Equipment
1. Feed Stock Purification
This process removes toxic
substances, including sulfur (S) and
chloride (Cl), to increase the life of the
downstream steam reforming and
other catalysts.

Desulphuriser

2. Reformation Process
The desulfurized hydrocarbon feed
is mixed with superheated process
steam at 750-800°C or 1380-
1470ºF to produce a synthesis gas
or syngas, which is a mixture
primarily made up of hydrogen, H2
and carbon monoxide, CO.

Steam Reformer
3. Shift Reaction
The second step, known as a
Water Gas Shift (WGS) reaction,
the CO produced in the first
reaction is reacted with steam over
a catalyst to form H2 and CO2.
This process occurs in two stages,
consisting of a

a. High Temperature Shift (HTS) at

350 ºC or 662 ºF endothermic
reaction:
b. Low Temperature Shift (LTS) at
190-210 ºC or 374-410 ºF
exothermic reaction:

Shift Reactor
4. Hydrogen Recovery
Highly volatile components with
low polarity, such as hydrogen, are
practically non-adsorbable as
opposed to molecules like N2, CO,
CO2, hydrocarbons and water
vapour. Consequently, these
impurities can be adsorbed from a
hydrogen containing stream and
high purity hydrogen is recovered.
The process condensate generated
in hydrogen plants is
contaminated with i.e. ammonia, Process Condensate Stripper
methanol, and CO2, which are
stripped with low pressure steam
(3 kg/cm2), which is finally vented
to the atmosphere.
5. Purification
Hydrogen produced from the SMR
process includes small quantities
of CO, CO2, and HS as impurities
and requires further purification.
In a liquid absorption system, CO2
is removed. The product gas
undergoes a methanation step to
remove residual traces of the
carbon oxides. Recent SMR Plants
utilize a Pressure Swing
Absorption (PSA) unit instead,
producing 99.99% pure product
hydrogen
Pressure Swing Absorber
Process Layout

Manufacturing Companies