How should the hazardous properties of calcium carbide be addressed?
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This post was last edited by Yu Qin on 2020-2-20 at 20:40. Calcium carbide is a hazardous chemical that catches fire easily when in contact with water. For companies that use calcium carbide as a raw material, should their focus be on fire and explosion prevention, or rather on protection against water and moisture – ignoring for now the acetylene gas generated during the production process? If it can be made waterproof and moisture-proof, what meaning does fire and explosion prevention still have?
For calcium carbide, preventing water and moisture means preventing fire and explosion.
Perhaps the question isn’t stated very clearly. Calcium carbide is, to be precise, a flammable material when exposed to moisture. What burns is acetylene, a flammable gas that is produced when it comes into contact with moisture. If water is prevented from entering and the humidity of the ambient air is controlled, does that mean calcium carbide is no longer considered a flammable substance?