Oxygen Acetylene

One of the most popular welding implements is the oxygen-acetylene torch. These high-powered devices use pressurized acetylene gas to keep a super-hot flame burning. This flame is then used for welding and cutting of all kinds of metals, but only under the safest and most carefully-supervised conditions.Acetylene is the simplest alkyne hydrocarbon, made up of just two carbon molecules and two hydrogen molecules. The triple chemical bond between the two carbons contains a tremendous amount of energy just waiting to be released. An oxygen-acetylene torch breaks this bond through a combustion reaction to release the energy, in this case as a tremendous amount of heat.This is where the oxygen part of the oxygen acetylene torch comes in. Combustion reactions require ample oxygen to proceed (which is why a fire can effectively suffocate without oxygen). In order to keep the combustion of acetylene going at a consistent rate, the torch needs more oxygen than can be found in the surrounding atmosphere--so additional oxygen is piped in by the torch device. The result is a torch that can produce flames that are hotter than 3300 degrees Celsius, one of the hottest temperatures recorded on Earth. The directed flames of an oxygen acetylene torch are used for welding and cutting metals, which become very malleable very quickly at such high temperatures. There are few substitutes for an oxygen acetylene torch--just make sure that you always use it with extreme caution.