Lordy, I can't believe I have to do this. One of you guys please lock and maybe sticky for a few days eh?


In a recent post a few people were under the mistaken assumption that you could use acetylene as a neutral gas to weld gas tanks, oil pans etc. This is a grievous error and may kill someone inadvertently. Acetylene is flammable/explosive!!

Notwithstanding the fact that these things have been discussed in the past and beat to death, acetylene is EXPLOSIVE.-- USE EXHAUST GAS or NITROGEN (preferably). We just had a hilljack post at NETGO about the guy that blew his truck cab open with a few acetylene balloons.



DO NOT USE ACETYLENE AS A NEUTRAL/SAFTEY GAS OR A PURGE GAS FOR SAFE WELDING OF A POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE TASK. INSTEAD OF NEUTRALIZING A POTENTIALLY EXPLOSIVE JOB YOU WILL MOST CERTAINLY ASSURE AN EXPLOSION!!!

MSDS: http://www.hoopersupply.com/msds/acetylene.htm

excerpt:

ACETYLENE IS EXTREMELY FLAMMABLE AND EXPLOSIVE. IT MAY DECOMPOSE VIOLENTLY IN ITS FREE STATE UNDER PRESSURE IN EXCESS OF 15 PSIG. It burns with an intensely hot flame. Potential explosion hazard exists from reignition if fire is extinguished without shutting off acetylene source. Ignites very easily due to low minimum ignition energy; very wide flammable limits. Acetylene gas has an approximate specific gravity of 1.0 and tends to stay in pockets rather than dissipate.

see: www.cganet.com/pubs/free/SA-2_2.pdf

excerpt:
Over the years, there have been a number of reported incidents involving acetylene being used improperly. In 1994 alone, there were two documented incidents brought to the attention of the Compressed Gas Association. In both cases individuals were using acetylene to inflate either balloons or plastic shopping bags. The inflated bags or balloons were then to be ignited to produce a large bang. In one case, an individual was burned over 50% of his body. In the other case, a father was not only killed by the shock wave in front of his children, but some of his children suffered injuries too. Both incidents resulted in a significant amount of property damage as well. Damage ranged from windows and doors being blown out of a warehouse to windows being shattered in the neighborhood. The same properties that make acetylene an attractive gas for cutting and welding also make it an extremely dangerous gas to abuse in this manner. Any effort to transfer or mix acetylene into another container including a balloon, plastic bag, or another cylinder is highly dangerous. See CGA G-1, Acetylene,for additional information.


To review. -DO NOT USE ACETYLENE AS A PURGE or NEUTRAL/SAFTEY GAS FOR WELDING!! Hope this will prevent anyone from killing themselves.

 

I think the post should be deleted as well as an extra measure of safety... Doesnt look like it contains much useful info, anyhow.

"i know ive seen people *from a good 100 foot distance* weld gas tanks and they pumped it full of acetylene to displace the oxygen...."

Hmmm... Sounds like my idea of fun. I quite enjoy having pieces of shrapnel picked out of my torso.

 

http://www.esdjournal.com/static/Kan...er%20truck.htm

 

HOLY COW


thats messed up

 

That was good huh?

Maybe I should add a gas-pumping safety thread.

Why you should never get in and out of your car while pumping gas:

http://www.sfowler.com/static/pump%20fire.avi

 

damn atlest she was smart enough to take the nozzle out of the tank...LOL....but ive seen that talked about on i believe it was Myth Busters once . its quite amazing to see and unbelievable that it doesnt happen more often

 

You are supposed to leave it in if a fire catches. If the pump hadn't shut off she would have spewed flaming gas all over the car, herself, the ground, etc. Main reason why they took the lock latches off most of the gas stations around here.

 

see im 31 years old and i would have ripped it out of my car and ran around like a little school girl screaming ......

but seriously i didnt know you were supposed to leave it in the car ????

i can see why it would keep it from spreading as long as the car didnt explode or i guess it would starve for air eventually wouldnt it ??

 

No, it may blow, but you'd have enough time to run as opposed to turning yourself into a walking flame. :P Seriously, most times it will go out as the saftey shut off has probably already hit or will hit with the jiggle.

Seriously, there is a lot on this subject. A friend of mine works for the state fire marshall and he gets to do a lot of the investigations into this. Also why they tell you to remove portable gas containers from your car/truck before filling up (those are nasty).

If you want to see what happens when you pull it out (No comment from the old man group!):

http://www.sfowler.com/autofires/inside%20edition1.wmv

 

If you want to see what happens when you keep it in...

(not mine)

umm... er... I meant...http://www.sfowler.com/autofires/gaston%20fire%201.wmv

 

yeah ive heard about the dangers of filling gas cans in the bed of a truck with a plastic bedliner also the static electricity can be very unforgiving

 

you guys are interfearing with darwin.

 

sorry im a bit slow here of late......thats funny ...LOL

 

Maybe, but you have to give them a fighting chance so they can spread out the funny. If they all killed themselves tomorrow, where would the entertainment come from?

Stop drinking so damn much!

 

Definatly be very careful when handling acetylene! It is possible for acetylene to spontaneously combust simply sitting in normal air. DO NOT EXCEED 15PSI working pressure!
Keep sources of acetylene shut off when not in use!
it can be explosive at merely 2.5% content in air and remains an explosive mixture until there is over 80% acetylene content in air.

!!DANGER!!

I'd also like to point out that spent exhaust gas is NOT a recommended method for purging a fuel to tank before welding!! It is still possible for a tank to explode when full of exhaust fumes and fuel residue!!

the very BEST method for purging any tank before welding is to steam with hot water and complete your welding job while the tank it still hot and full of steam!!

 

Purging it in that was is great, however, for the welding, I'd rather use a neutral gas such as Nitrogen, or (since it's handy) C25 in order to displace any and all oxygen. I'm paranoid and I am lazy.

 

hey i see you finally made it to important and usefull....wow .....

wish my wife would look at me like that ...LMAO

 

 

The reason acetylene is so popular, is that it has the widest flammable range of any gas out there, therefore, it lights easily. For this reason it should never be used to purge fuel tanks. There are plenty of radiator shops out there that will weld them properly, and if they screw up you read about it in the paper instead of the burn ward.
However, for those of you who insist on purging the fuel tank with acetylene and welding it, I have only one thing to say. "I make my living as a firefighter, and I appreciate your support".

 

Funny I just came across this page and then I read this post.

I agree with you guys. Making acetylene more or less available to the public is just another way of population control.

 

isnt that called natural selection......

 

:nono: what are people thinking? I guess those lables are just for looks

 

great quote that should be on a calendar

 

If you look up your applicable safety codes on purging of fuel vessels, (CSA for me up here in Canada) the safest and most recommended way to weld on fuel vessels or vessels that contain flammable residue is to use the hot steam purge method.

besides water is more readily available and cheaper than c25 or any other inert gas.