Chemical Symbol: C₂H₂
Synonyms: Ethine, Ethyne

Description
Acetylene is a compound of carbon and hydrogen. It is a colorless, highly flammable gas and slightly lighter than air. Acetylene of 100 percent purity is odorless, but the commercial purity generated from calcium carbide has a distinctive, garlic like odor.

Acetylene can be liquefied and solidified with relative ease. However, in both the liquid and solid states, acetylene is shock sensitive and explodes with extreme violence when ignited. A mixture of gaseous acetylene with air or oxygen in certain proportions explodes if ignited.

Uses
Acetylene is most commonly used for chemical synthesis. It is also used as a raw material for a whole series of organic compounds, among them acetaldehyde, acetic acid, acetic anhydride, acetone, and vinyl chloride. Furthermore, acetylene is used oxyacetylene welding, cutting, heat treating, and so on. Small amounts are used for lighting purposes in buoys, beacons, and similar devices.