June 17, 1947. H.

HOLLER ET AL
PROCESS FOR THE GENERATION OF ACETYLENE
2,422,623
FROM CALCIUM CARBIDE AND WATER
Filed March 6, 1939

Mafer .
Calcium Wafer
(less than half
requireaf to Carbfate (2ess than that
required to
complete the complete the
reaction) reaction)

Dry Acetylene
6enerator

5eparator

dry Calcium
calcium Caribale
Ayaloniae Aesfalue

Water . . .
Cafe/l//
(less than fif
required to
Carbiale
compete the
reaction) requireaf to
complete the
Dr.y reaction)
Generator

Calcium Carbiae
hydroxide Aestatue Calcium
Calcium Carbiae
Aldroniae Aestatue
Water
NVENTORS
HERMANNEféR
OTTOMJES
BY g:A 2.ts
NEYS
Patented June 17, 1947 - 2422,623
UNITED STATES PATENT office
PROCESS FOR THE GENERATION OF
ACETYLENE FROM CALCIUM CARBIDE
AND WATER,
Hermann Holler, Frankfort-on-the-Main, and
Otto Mues, Georgsmarienhutte, near Osna
bruck, Germany; wested in the Attorney Gen
eral of the United States
Applicationa Germany
March 6, 1939, serial No. 260,146
March 5, 1938
Sections 3 and 14, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946.
Patent expires March 5, 1958
2 Claims. (Cl. 48-216)
(Granted under the provisions of sec. 14, act o
March 2, 1927; 35. O. G. 5)
2
The present invention relates to a process for by reacting with a limited amount of water only
the generation of acetylene from calcium carbide the greater portion of the carbide introduced into
a dry-generator so as to obtain practically dry
and water. calcium hydroxide, and separating the incom
In the processes hitherto known for the gener
ation of acetylene from calcium carbide and Water 5 pletely reacting remaining portion of the carbide,
not yet gasified, from the hydroxide formed, and
the large amount of water necessary for removal removing it from the generator to be introduced
of the heat produced is disadvantageous because either into another generator or into the same
on the one hand it causes a considerable loss of
acetylene, and, on the other hand the calcium O generator.
Warious processes are known for Separating in
.
hydroxide produced is obtained in the form of a dry-generators the carbide from the hydroxide
mud-like mass and can thus be Separated and
worked up only with difficulty. Processes have immediately after the latter has been formed.
already been proposed whereby a practically dry In this case the layer of calcium hydroxide sur
calcium hydroxide can be obtained by adding to rounding each grain of calcium carbide is removed
the carbide, generally present in the form of 5 to so that the water in the generator can have access
pieces, only a limited amount of water, part of each grain as easily as possible. The carbide
which serves for the chemical reaction, while the is, however, not removed from the generator, but
remains therein together With the hydroxide until
evaporation of the rest absorbs and removes the the gasification process in the generator is com
heat of reaction.
These 'dry-gasification' processes are carried 20 plete.
Another process is known, in which a metal
out as follows: during the entire reaction, namely oxide is used as a carrier for a thin carbide coat
until the evolution of gas from the carbide is ing. The oxide particles forming the carriers are
practically complete, the pieces of carbide and reconducted in a cycle into the apparatus for
the calcium hydroxide formed remain together
and when the reaction is finished the pulverulent 25 producing calcium carbide after the gasification
lime is removed from the generator. Since, how of the carbide coating is complete. In view of the
ever, pari passu with the decreasing amount of entirely different parent materials used in such
carbide in the mixture of calcium carbide and process a subdivision of the actual gasification
calcium hydroxide the speed of evolution of gas process prescribed by the present invention is,
continuously diminishes owing to the fact that the 30 however, unnecessary. .
amount and surface of the carbide continuously Fig. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating the process
decrease, it is absolutely essential to use a gener of the invention; .
ator for the complete gasification in which the Fig. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating a modifi
path of single grains of calcium carbide is as cation of the invention;
long as possible. It is, therefore, niecessary to use 35 Fig. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a variation
comparatively large generators which are costly of the process shown in Fig. 2; and
in respect of Construction and maintenance and Fig. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating another
may be rather complicated. modification of the invention.
Another difficulty in such dry-gasification In the present invention as shown in Fig. 1, at
process resides in the fact that the amount 4) a certain moment the unreacted particles of
of water to be added must always be controlled carbide remaining after the main portion thereof
in accord with the amount of carbide present in has been gasified may be removed from the gene
the generator in order to obtain the practically erator, after having been separated from the cala
dry calcium hydroxide desired. Hence such proc cium hydroxide, and these carbide particles may
ess requires constant and exact attention, par 45 be then subjected to further reaction with water
ticularly with reference to the water supply which, in any desired manner, as shown in Fig. 2. If
if not regulated, may lead to the production of this carbide remainder is gasified separately, an
moist slaked lime or to the presence of still un excess of water may be used, as shown in Fig. 3,
gasified particles of carbide in the residue. so that the lime is obtained in this case in the
The present invention avoids these drawbacks 50 form of mud. By such a subdivision of the gasi
 2,422,623
3 4.
fication process, a certain amount of the mud-like We claim: -
calcium hydroxide is produced; however, this 1. In a process for the production of acetylene
amount is very small in comparison with the and substantially dry calcium hydroxide by react
amount of dry lime obtained so that, compared ing calcium carbide with a limited amount of
with the simplification of the construction of the 5 water in a 'dry-generator, the steps which com
generator as well as with the economical advan prise treating the carbide introduced into the dry
tages attained thereby it is of little importance. generator with insufficient water to completely
JFurthermore, by the premature removal of a react all of said carbide so that no excess of water.
part of the carbide it is unnecessary to control OCCurs in the generator and so that. the calcium
constantly the main gasification in respect of the 0 hydroxide formed is always obtained in a sub
sufficiency of the amount of water added, since stantially dry pulverulent state, separating any
the rest of the incompletely reacted carbide parti remaining unreacted particles of the carbide from
cles not yet gasified do not remain mixed with the the calcium hydroxide, removing, collecting and
residue but are removed therefrom and subjected
to separate gasification.
again introducing such remaining particles of
5 carbide into the inlet portion of said dry-gener
. The calcium hydroxide formed during the main ator. m
gasification is suitably separated from the carbide 2. In the process for the production of acetyl
pieces still present only when the main part of ene and substantially dry calcium hydroxide by
the carbide has been gasified and merely small treating calcium carbide with a limited amount
pieces of the carbide remain to be gasified. In 20 of water in a dry-generator, the steps which com
this case the calcium hydroxide is then suitably prise reacting only the main portion of the car
screened from the carbide, so that the hydroxide bide introduced into the dry-generator with such
is caused to fall into a collecting vessel or the a limited amount of water that no excess of water
like from which it may be removed and further occurs in the generator and the calcium hydrox
worked up for use as fertilizer or it is stored in 25 ide formed is always obtained in a substantially
bags, whereas the remaining pieces of carbide, dry pulverulent state, separating any remaining
mixed, if desired, with fresh carbide, are recon unreacted particles of the carbide from the cal
ducted into either the dry-generator, as shown in cium hydroxide, removing and again introducing
Fig. 4, or into a wet-generator, as shown in Fig. 3, such separated particles of carbide into said dry
of known construction which operates with an ex 30 generator together with fresh (arbide.
ceSS Of Water. -
Alternatively, the calcium hydroxide, may be HERMANN HOLLER.
separated from the ungasified Carbide by causing OTTO MUES.
a current of gas to act in the manner of a sifting
current; preferably, however, a circulating cur 35 REFERENCEs CITED
rent of part of the acetylene produced, is caused The foll) Wing references are of record in the
to pass through the mixture, whereby the lightest file of this patent:
of the hydroxide particles are carried away and
brought into a chamber where they deposit while UNITED STATES PATENTS
the carbide remains, in the generator. 4) Number Name Date
The process may consist either, in a continuous 541,429 Dickerson ---------- June 18, 1895
separation of the carbide from the calcium hy 575,677 Fuller -------------- Jan. 19, 1897
droxide, or in an intermittent separation of the 1872,741 dane -------------- Aug. 23, 1932
two compounds. Furthermore, the carbide par
ticles may either be finally gasified immediately 45 2,122,889
1996,185
Mues ---------------- July 5, 1938
Wulff---------------- Apr. 2, 1935
after separation of the hydroxide or they may be Re.20,527 Weibezahn ---------- Oct. 5, 1937
brought into a collecting chamber from which 1947,120 Weibezahn --------- Feb. 13, 1934
they are introduced, as required, into the gener 2,180,085 Holler -------------- Nov. 14, 1939
ator in which the gasification occurs.