Acetylene has a wide range of downstream applications and the development of my country’s industry structure is unreasonable

Acetylene, a kind of industrial gas, is a bulk gas with the molecular formula C2H2. It is also known as air coal and calcium carbide gas. It appears as a colorless gas at room temperature. Pure acetylene is odorless, but industrial acetylene has a garlic smell because it contains hydrogen sulfide, phosphine, arsine and other substances. Acetylene is slightly soluble in water and soluble in organic solvents such as ethanol, acetone, and benzene. It is chemically reactive and flammable. There is a danger of explosion in the air, under pressure, heat, or in open fire.

Acetylene can be prepared by calcium carbide method, natural gas cracking method, hydrocarbon cracking method and other processes. In my country, the calcium carbide method has a high application rate. Acetylene is produced by the calcium carbide method, which uses calcium carbide (calcium carbide) as raw material, reacts with water, and is hydrolyzed to produce acetylene. The by-product of acetylene produced from pure calcium carbide is calcium hydroxide. If acetylene is produced from calcium carbide with low purity, arsenic and phosphorus compounds will also be produced.

Acetylene has active chemical properties and can undergo addition, oxidation, polymerization and other reactions. It is an important organic synthetic raw material and can be used in the chemical industry to prepare acetaldehyde, benzene, naphthalene, styrene, vinyl chloride, synthetic rubber, and synthetic fibers. , acetylene carbon black and other products; acetylene can produce high temperatures when burned and is an important cutting and welding gas. It is widely used in the field of metal processing. At the same time, it emits white light when burned and can be used in the lighting field; in addition, high-purity acetylene can also be used in in the semiconductor industry.

According to the “China Acetylene Industry Market In-depth Research and Development Prospects Forecast Report 2021-2026” released by the Industrial Research Center, overseas In the market, the main acetylene manufacturers include Linde Gas, BASF, Air Liquide, Air Chemicals, Praxair, Messer Group, Taiyo Nippon Sanso, High Pressure Gas Industries, etc. In the Chinese market, the main acetylene manufacturers include Sinopec, Jinhong Gas, Shanxi Coking, Zhongtai Chemical, Xining Special Steel, Wanwei High-tech, Pengxin Resources, etc.

According to China Customs data, since 2015, my country’s acetylene imports have gradually expanded, reaching 36 tons in 2019; while in 2016, my country’s acetylene exports fell off a cliff, with a decline of 71.7%, and then showed a shrinking trend year by year, reaching 999 tons in 2019. Ton. my country’s acetylene export volume is much larger than its import volume, but the import amount has grown more rapidly, reaching US$4.54 million in 2019, while the export amount in the same year was US$3.15 million. my country’s acetylene export volume is much greater than its import volume, but the import amount is greater than the export amount, indicating that the unit price of acetylene imported into my country is high, while the unit price of exported acetylene is low.

Industry analysts people said that the structural development of my country’s acetylene industry is unreasonable, with low-end production capacity accounting for a large proportion. In addition to meeting domestic demand, the products produced In addition, it is also exported to overseas markets. High-end acetylene production capacity accounts for a small proportion, and import volume has gradually expanded since 2015. Although the annual import volume is still small, the import amount is high. In the future, the development of my country’s acetylene industry needs to focus on balancing the industry structure and developing high-end production capacity.