""Nick Müller"" wrote in
message
...
AL wrote:

Doesn't acetylene combust spontaneously at
around 15psi? Can you get 15 psi
by squeezing the baloon?

Can't be. The red line at my acetylen bottle's
pressure regulator is at
8 bar (116psi).

Does it have to be in the presence of oxygen?

No, it can disintegrate without O.
And if it is getting into contact with copper,
it will ignite earlier.
Brass up to 60% (IIRC) copper is OK.



The reason that acetylene does not explode at the
high pressures in a bottle is because it is
actually dissolved in acetone. As the gas is used
the pressure in the bottle drops and more gas
comes out of solution to replace it.

Tom