Oxyacetylene Equipment Identification

Oxyacetylene Equipment Identification

Gas Cylinders

Oxygen Cylinders

1. Oxygen

• a) Oxygen is a colorless gas (19% of the atmosphere).
• b) Oxygen has no smell or taste.
• c) Oxygen is a flammable gas.
• d) Oxygen readily supports combustion.

1. Common size oxygen cylinders hold about 244 cu. ft. of oxygen at 2,000 to 2,600 lbs. per square inch (psi) pressure.
2. Because of their high pressure, they can explode if dropped, struck, heated, or arced with an arc welder.
3. The cylinder valve, which allows the flow of gas from the cylinder to the regulator, is protected when not in use with a threaded cylinder cap.
4. The cylinder cap has two holes on its side designed to cause a cylinder with a broken-off valve to spin instead of take off like a missile from the jet effect of the escaping, high pressure gas.

Acetylene Cylinders

1. Acetylene

• Acetylene is a colorless gas (a compound of carbon and hydrogen).
• Acetylene has no smell, a sulfur gas is added for smell.
• Acetylene is flammable and highly explosive when mixed with oxygen.
• Acetylene is explosive when compressed above 15 psi, but is very soluble in acetone.
• Acetylene forms explosive compounds with silver and copper, so never use copper pipe or fittings with it.

1. Acetylene cylinders are filled with a porous form of concrete in which all the air is removed by filling the pore spaces with acetone.
2. The acetylene can be stored in these cylinders at pressures above 15 psi without becoming unstable because it combines with the acetone under pressure.
3. Large acetylene cylinders can hold around 275 cu. ft. of acetylene at 250 psi.
4. If acetylene is withdrawn too quickly, removing all the available acetylene, the cylinder pressure gauge will read empty; but after the cylinder is not used for a while, more usable acetylene will come out of the solution.
5. Acetylene cylinders must be kept upright for about eight hours before use and during use in order to prevent acetone loss.

Gas Regulators

• Gas regulators reduce the high cylinder pressures to low, hose pressures suitable for welding and cutting applications.
• Identification of the Parts of a Gas Regulator

• Inlet (cylinder valve connection)

• Oxygen inlets have right-handed threads.
• Acetylene inlets have left-handed threads and their nuts are notched on the outside.

• Pressure Adjusting Screw

1. Decreasing the pressure (out) is counterclockwise.
2. Increasing the pressure (in) is clockwise.

• Cylinder (high) Pressure Gauge

1. Oxygen cylinder gauge reads 0-4000 psi.
2. Acetylene cylinder gauge reads 0-400 psi.

• Working (low) Pressure Gauge

1. Oxygen working gauge reads 0-200 psi.
2. Acetylene working gauge reads 0-30 psi.

• Outlet (connection for hoses)

1. Oxygen outlets have right-handed threads.
2. Acetylene outlets have left-handed threads.

• Check Valves

1. Check valves allow the gases to flow in only one direction to prevent backflow.
2. Check valves are necessary safety devices attached between the hoses and the regulator outlets.

• Gas Hoses

1. The hoses transport low-pressure gas from the regulator to the torch.
2. The oxygen hose is always black or green.
3. The acetylene hose is always red.
4. The hoses are flame retardant, but should still be kept away from an open flame, sparks, molten metal, and slag.
5. New hoses are stored with talcum powder inside, which should be blown out before connecting them to the torch.

• Torch (Blowpipe) 

1. The torch controls the mixture of oxygen and acetylene to produce the desired flame.

Identification of the parts of the torch:

• Hose connections

Oxygen connection is usually marked "OXY."
Acetylene connection is usually marked "FUEL."

• Oxygen control valve
• Acetylene control valve
• Barrel
• Torch head
• Torch Tips

Welding tips
Cutting tips
Heating tips
Tip cleaner

• Protective Wear

Goggles
Leather gloves

• Striker

Hand-held piece of equipment used to produce spark.

• Working Surfaces

Welding table (fire brick does not explode under heat)

Cutting table