Acetylene and Oxygen Safe Use For Welding
Acetylene and Oxygen Safe Use For Welding
Acetylene and Oxygen Safe Use For Welding
An acetylene molecule is held together by what is known as a triple carbon bond. This bond is
useful in that it stores substantial energy that can be released as heat during combustion.
However, the triple carbon bond is unstable, making acetylene gas very sensitive to conditions
such as excess pressure, excess temperature, static electricity, or mechanical shock.
Flammable range:
Acetylene has a very wide range of flammability. The lower flammable limit (LFL) is typically
listed as 2.5% and the upper flammable limit (UFL) is listed as 81%. Although acetylene will not
undergo combustion at concentrations above the UFL, it can undergo an explosive
decomposition reaction, even at concentrations of 100%.
Never use acetylene or its equipment in any way not consistent with recognized good
practice.
Always maintain acetylene cutting equipment in proper working condition to prevent
inadvertent leakage of acetylene or oxygen into the surrounding work environment.
Protect all cylinders from falling objects. Avoid rough handling, dropping, or knocking of
cylinders to prevent damaging the cylinder, fusible plugs, relief devices, cylinder valves
or gauges. Storing acetylene cylinders on their side makes the acetylene less stable and
less safe, and increases the likelihood of solvent loss and resultant decomposition.
Acetylene cylinders should be stored and used in the upright position and firmly secured
to prevent falling or being knocked over.
Acetylene gas is ignitable over a wide range of concentrations.
Ease of ignition:
Acetylene is a very easy gas to ignite. In fact, the energy from a static spark capable of igniting
acetylene is lower than for any other fuel gas except hydrogen. The ignition energy of acetylene
in air is approximately seventeen times lower than that of methane. The static charge developed
by walking across a carpet floor on a dry day can be 1700 times greater than that needed to ignite
acetylene. When mixed with pure oxygen, the ignition energy of acetylene is almost 100 times
lower than it is in air.
Never discharge unburned acetylene gas from a torch except for the normal process of
lighting the torch.
Never discharge unburned acetylene gas from a torch into any type of container or vessel.
When unburned acetylene gas is discharged from a torch, static electricity can be generated at the
torch tip. If the tip comes in contact with a ground path, a static spark capable of igniting the
acetylene can occur.
ACETYLENE CYLINDERS
Acetylene can remove acetone from a horizontal tank easier than placed in a
vertical position. If an acetylene tank is found laying down, it is critical that
the tank should remain in an upright position for at least 24 hours to re-
distribute the acetone in the porous substrate and prevent decomposition.
EWU EH&S SOP Page 2 of 16 Doc Rev 1 3/29/2016
Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
Acetylene and Oxygen Safe Use for Welding
Decomposition of the acetylene is triggered by heat, eg when it is:
Placed in radiant exposures, i.e. direct sunlight or heat sources;
Involved in a fire;
Scorched by flames from a blowtorch; or
Involved in a flashback.
The porous mass slows down any decomposition of the gas. From the start of decomposition to
the cylinder exploding could take several hours. This should provide time for emergency action.
Decomposition can be triggered more easily and proceed more rapidly if:
The porous mass has been damaged by repeated flashbacks;
The cylinder has been mishandled or dropped;
The cylinder valve is leaking; or
The acetylene in the hoses is above the pressure recommended by the supplier.
FLASHBACKS
There are a number of incidents each year where a flashback into an acetylene cylinder triggers
decomposition, leaving the cylinder in a dangerous, unstable condition, which can lead to an
explosion.
Flashbacks are commonly caused by a reverse flow of oxygen into the fuel gas hose (or fuel into
the oxygen hose), producing an explosive mixture within the hose. The flame can then burn back
through the torch, into the hose and may even reach the regulator and the cylinder. Flashbacks
can result in damage or destruction of equipment, and could even cause the cylinder to explode.
These measures will reduce the risk of a flashback but will not completely eliminate it. Non-
return valves will not stop a flashback once it has occurred.
Gas Flow
The fitting of a flashback arrester is not a substitute for safe working practice.
If a flashback does occur:
If safe, immediately close both the blowpipe/nozzle valves, oxygen first, then acetylene.
(Note: this is opposite to the normal closing-down procedures); close both cylinder
valves; if the flame cannot be put out at once, evacuate the area and call the fire and
rescue services;
If the fire is quickly put out, do the following:
Find the cause of the incident and examine all equipment for damage;
Do not move or vent cylinder, monitor for any heat over the next hour;
If a hotspot is detected, or the cylinder begins to vibrate, immediately evacuate the area
and call the fire and rescue service;
before using again, make sure all equipment is working effectively, especially anything
that might have been affected by heat. If in doubt, consult your supplier.
If it is safe to do so, close the cylinder valves on both fuel gas and oxygen.
If the fire cannot be put out at once, evacuate the area and call the emergency fire
services.
After a flashback, carefully check for damage to the torch, hoses, regulators, flashback
arresters and other components. Replace parts if you need to. If in doubt, consult your
supplier.
Even a small increase in the oxygen level in the air to 24% can create a dangerous situation. It
becomes easier to start a fir e, which will then bur n hotter and more fiercely than in normal air.
It may be almost impossible to put the fir e out. A leaking valve or hose in a poorly ventilated
room or confined space can quickly increase the oxygen concentration to a dangerous level.
The main causes of fires and explosions when using oxygen are:
Oxygen enrichment from leaking equipment;
Use of materials not compatible with oxygen;
Use of oxygen in equipment not designed for oxygen service;
Incorrect or careless operation of oxygen equipment.
Metal components
Many metals and alloys are not suitable for use with oxygen. All metals in contact with oxygen
in the main flow stream should be of appropriate materials suitable for the given oxygen service.
In general, diaphragm casings, diaphragm plates, springs, and other parts not in the main flow
stream may be of ordinary materials such as carbon steel, stainless steel, or cast iron. It is
OXYGEN CYLINDERS
A typical oxygen cylinder is made of steel and has a capacity of 220 cubic feet at a pressure of
2,000 psi and a temperature of 70F. Each oxygen cylinder has a high-pressure outlet valve
located at the top of the cylinder, a removable metal cap for the protection of the outlet valve
during shipment or storage, and a low melting point safety fuse plug and disk. All oxygen
cylinders are painted green for identification. Technical oxygen cylinders are solid green, while
breathing oxygen cylinders are green with a white band around the top.
CYLINDER SIZES High Pressure Steel
Oxygen equipment
You should always:
Open the valve slowly. Rapid opening, particularly of cylinder valves, can result in
momentarily high oxygen velocities. Any particles will be pushed through the system
very quickly, causing frictional heat. Alternatively, if the system has a dead end such as
where a pressure regulator is connected to an oxygen cylinder, heat can be generated
through compression of the oxygen. Both cases can result in a fire;
Ensure that the pressure adjusting screw of the pressure regulator is fully unwound, so
that the regulator outlet valve is closed before opening the oxygen cylinder valve,
particularly when opening the cylinder valve for the first time after changing cylinders;
Ensure that cylinder valves are closed and piped supplies isolated whenever work is
stopped. Do not try to cut off the supply of oxygen by nipping or kinking flexible hose
when changing equipment, eg blowpipes;
Maintain hoses and other equipment in good condition. Leak tests can be carried out easily using
a proprietary spray or liquid solution that is certified for use on oxygen systems. Soap or liquids
that may contain grease should not be used.
TORCHES
The torch assembly consists of the handle, oxygen and fuel gas valves and mixing chamber.
Welding tips or a cutting attachment can be used with the handle allowing it to be used for
welding, heating and cutting operations. Oxygen and fuel gas flow through tubes inside the
handle which blend in the mixing chamber or tip. It is at the tip that the mixed gases are ignited.
There are two basic mixer types, the equal or medium pressure type (also known as balance or
positive pressure type) and the injector type. The equal pressure type is the most common and is
used with fuel gas pressures that are above 1 psi. Oxygen and fuel gas enter the torch at almost
equal pressures. The injector type is used when fuel gas pressures are less than 1 psi. In this type,
Oxygen at high pressure pulls the fuel gas into the mixing chamber.
The welding tip is mounted on the end of the torch handle and through it the oxygen and fuel gas
mixture feed the flame. Tips are available in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit most any welding
job and are identified by number. The larger the number, the larger the hole in the tip and the
thicker the metal that can be welded or cut. Welding tips have one hole and cutting tips have a
centrally located hole with a number of smaller holes located around it in a circular pattern. The
cutting Oxygen comes from the center hole with the preheat flame coming from the holes around
it. Many factors determine the size tip to use, but mainly the thickness of the metal to be welded
or cut determines which tip size to use. The attachments at the end of this article will serve as a
guide to tip selection.
A cutting attachment connects to the end of the torch handle in place of the welding tip and
allows for the cutting of metal up to 8 inches thick. For cutting metal over 8 inches, the use of a
cutting torch instead of a cutting attachment should be used. The fuel gas valve on the torch
handle is used to adjust the fuel. The Oxygen valve on the torch handle is opened full and the
Oxygen flow for the preheat flame is adjusted using the Oxygen valve on the cutting attachment.
The cutting Oxygen is controlled by the lever operated valve on the attachment.
CUTTING TORCH
The cutting torch is connected to the hoses in place of the welding handle and is used for cutting
thicker metal than can be cut with the cutting attachment, or for heavy duty cutting work. The
cutting torch like the welding handle is equipped with Oxygen and fuel gas valves with a lever
operated Oxygen valve that controls the flow of cutting Oxygen to the tip. ( Center hole in the
cutting tip ) In the two tube model, Oxygen and fuel gas mix and flow to the tip in the larger
bottom tube with the cutting Oxygen flowing to the tip in the top tube. In three tube models,
Oxygen and fuel gas flow to the tip in the bottom tubes and cutting Oxygen flows to the tip in the
top tube.
Importantly, users should never attempt to defeat this safeguard with the use of adapters. Equally
important, PTFE tape, oil, or any other lubricant should not be used on the inlet connection of a
regulator. PTFE tape can shred, and fluid lubricants will find their way into the flow stream;
neither should be inside the regulator. As a reminder, CGA guidelines require servicing of
regulators every 5 years. (CGA E15-2011)
A general discussion regarding regulators is found in the EWU Standard Operating Procedure for
Compressed Gas Cylinders. In the oxygen regulator, the oxygen enters through the high-pressure
inlet connection and passes through a glass wool filter that removes dust and dirt. Turn the
adjusting screw in, to the right, to allow the oxygen to pass from the high-pressure chamber to
the low-pressure chamber of the regulator, through the regulator outlet, and through the hose to
the torch at the pressure shown on the working pressure gauge. Changes in this pressure may be
made at will, simply by adjusting the handle until the desired pressure is registered. Turning the
adjusting screw to the right INCREASES the working pressure; turning it to the left
DECREASES the working pressure.
The operation of the two-stage regulator is similar in principle to the single-stage regulator. The
difference is that the total pressure decrease takes place in two steps instead of one. On the high-
pressure side, the pressure is reduced from cylinder pressure to intermediate pressure. On the
low-pressure side, the pressure is reduced from intermediate pressure to working pressure.
Because of the two-stage pressure control, the working pressure is held constant, and pressure
adjustment during welding operations is not required.
The acetylene regulator controls and reduces the acetylene pressure from any standard cylinder
that contains pressures up to 500 psi. It is of the same general design as the oxygen regulator, but
it will not withstand such high pressures. The high-pressure gauge, on the inlet side of the
regulator, is graduated from 0 to 500 psi. The low-pressure gauge, on the outlet side of the
regulator, is graduated from 0 to 30 psi.
Free acetylene is unstable at pressures above 15 psig. Pressures exceeding 15 psi can cause
pocketing of free acetylene within the porous cylinder tank and excessive thermal buildup, both
can lead to tank decomposition. For most welding and cutting processes, the acetylene pressure
should not exceed 0.62 bar (9psi)
Acetylene Regulator
High Pressure
Gauge
High Pressure
Low Pressure Gauge Gauge
Oxygen Regulator
If tightening the fittings does not solve the problem, you can locate a leak by brushing all the
fittings and the hoses with a soapy solution. Mix a capful of liquid dishwashing detergent in a
gallon of water (Do not use soap containing lanolin or oils). Bubbles will appear at loose fittings
or punctures in the hoses. If a fitting leaks beyond correction, return it to the supplier for
replacement. After a successful leak test, reset the regulators for the correct tip pressure.
Results of an Acetylene
explosion in a vehicle.