Wet acetylene and dry acetylene

In fact, even the designs created by the most experienced design firms require numerous technical modifications in practice. After all, practice is the sole criterion for testing truth. After a dry-process plant is built, it takes at least 3 years of experimentation to ensure that safety and process parameters are fully satisfactory. In the northwestern region, some companies use dry-acetylene processes for producing 800,000 tons of PVC annually; thanks to years of experience, these processes now operate very smoothly, which is something that design firms are likely unable to achieve.

Our company’s dry-acetylene process has been in operation for over a year, and production is running normally; however, dust removal still needs improvement. As mentioned on the second floor, 800,000 tons per year of PVC are produced using dry-acetylene processes, and those operations are also functioning very well. Could you please tell me the company name?

Based on several years of summary and evaluation of dry acetylene generators, the following conclusion can be drawn: the only advantage is the low moisture content of calcium carbide slag, which results in lower energy consumption in cement production； The disadvantage is: it is difficult to control environmental dust ； The overall yield of calcium carbide is low (in some manufacturers, the consumption of calcium carbide per ton of TPVC exceeds 1.8 tons) ； The production process involves high levels of risk ； Due to the higher reaction temperature, the sulfur and phosphorus content in acetylene is also higher, resulting in higher consumption of sodium hypochlorite ； Acetylene gas contains a high level of dust, requiring large amounts of washing water; this results in a significant amount of wet slag (which also requires plate and frame filter presses). Additionally, when calcium carbide is crushed very finely and high mixing power is used, energy consumption increases ； The capacity of a single unit is low (2000 Nm3 of acetylene/h) ； The investment is substantial (about 10 times that of a wet generator) ； It is not possible to achieve a mass balance for the entire acetylene process ； Due to the outdated control methods used (controlling the water addition amount based on the wet content of the slag), there is a large time lag, and the moisture content of the calcium carbide slag remains unstable – sometimes high, and at other times the reaction of calcium carbide is incomplete. This leads to control issues and safety hazards in cement production ； Calcium carbide slag is difficult to transport, and the investment in transportation equipment is high. In short, dry-type generators have obvious disadvantages; they are not conducive to energy conservation and emission reduction, and are not suitable for large-scale PVC production facilities. In contrast, wet-acetylene generators have fewer disadvantages, better safety, are easier to scale up, and offer more room for improvement.

In fact, compared to wet-based generation, dry-based generation is currently on par in China; each method has its advantages and disadvantages, and factors such as the region and waste residue treatment need to be taken into consideration. At present, dry generators in China are still in the process of improvement.

The wet-process acetylene method is relatively mature, while the dry-process acetylene method still needs further exploration. At present, the company that has achieved success in using the dry-process acetylene method in China is Xinjiang Tianye.

Dry process investment is high, and it does not save water; on the contrary, it consumes more water than the wet process. However, calcium carbide slag is excellent for use in cement production, offering significant advantages in a circular economy.